Destiny Calling
by heda reyes
Summary: Fem!Percy. The world hadn't seen her coming. She was like a hurricane, throwing everything off its axises. Perseia Jackson, that's her name. The first daughter of Poseidon. With a face that can launch thousands of ships into war and a powerful legacy running through her blood, she's fully out to make a change. Fem!Percy/Ares/Hermes/Apollo
1. Born At Dawn

**A/N:** So, this is the re-upload of _'The Sea's Tranquility'_ , you do see right. A few may ask _why?_ The reason is actually really simple - I just wasn't satisfied with the way the first story seemed to take. I did have some personal issues that needed a little resolving, which is why I didn't upload after the fifth chapter, and in that time the whole plot I had outlined just turned upside down. As you may see, this chapter is very similar to the other version's first chapter; at least the first parts.

 **I did make some changes:** Percy will be sixteen when we start delving into _The Lightning Thief._ I just need her more mature for this story and the future pairing to work. Also, yes, the endgame pairing _will_ be Percy/Apollo/Hermes/Ares. There will be no silly fighting over her; she'll be together with all three of them. _At the same time._ I think it'll make for a very exciting dynamic that I'm really looking forward to write.

Also, this story will divert from canon as it progresses; I already screwed the original plot over by having Percy as Aphrodite's champion, Sally not marrying Gabe and being able to live a somewhat comfortable life.

 **Warning:** The rating will go up once we get to the cool stuff ... *cough* _smut_ *cough*.

Happy reading ya all!

And remember, reviews are better than sex.

* * *

 **DESTINY CALLING**

 **1.** BORN AT DAWN

 **:**.. **:**

 **.**

 **.**

 **For** as long as she could remember, Sally Jackson had known the world she lived in was a dangerous, unfamiliar as merely a child, she'd seen the things for what they truly were, and usually, those things stared right back at her. She couldn't quite put her finger on when it started, when everything had become so perfectly clear that she wondered why other people couldn't see. Frankly, there hadn't even been a moment of discovery to begin with. It just … was. She'd always been able to see what was hidden. It was right under all their noses.

When she mentioned it to her parents, Walter and Daria Jackson, they had immediately started worrying about the state of her mentality. Sally was only ten years old at that time and her parents didn't make it obvious, but she'd always been a smart girl, even back then. She saw it in the way her father looked at her over the edge of the newspapers. She saw it in the way her mother began reading books about parenting, obviously worried whether or not she'd done something wrong. But Sally knew there was nothing off with her. She was still the same ordinary girl on the edge of puberty. At school, there were no complaints from teachers or other students' parents. She had good grades, did her homework, and had some nice friends she liked to spend her pastime with. It all reached its peak, however, when her parents send her to a child therapist. Sally wouldn't have it that way, of course; she wasn't crazy. She was still a fully sane person, and the fact that she saw things beyond other's imagination didn't make her any less normal than them. After that scenario and a huge fight with her parents, Sally never, ever mentioned it to someone again.

The older she became, the more she became used to the things she was able to see. She'd never said it aloud but there was only one word suitable enough to describe those things.

Monsters.

She saw monsters. Dogs the size of cars, completely inhuman looking creatures, people with distorted facial features, and so much more. They never did something to harm her, though. As a child, she'd never been afraid of monsters because of exactly that. It was hard to fear them when you saw them every day on the streets, and so it didn't surprise Sally when, one day, she discovered that she had made peace with her ability.

After earning her scholarship, she got accepted into NYU. The fight with her parents several years ago, when they wanted to take her to a therapist, faded into obscurity as things went back to normal. Since discovering the magic that was books, Sally had been wanting to become a writer, dreaming about the books she'd publish some day in the future. She enrolled at some creative writing courses at college, and for quite some time, things looked absolutely amazing.

One day, however, changed the entire course of her life.

It was the middle of September, the day she turned twenty, when she and some of her friends drove to Montauk, where they intended to spend the weekend in order to celebrate her birthday. They had rented a small cabin near by the beach, and everyone was looking forward to it, especially so Sally.

Late in the evening, after they had made themselves comfortable in the cabin, Sally headed down to the beach, her head slightly spinning due to the few beers she'd already had. With her gaze resting on the calm sea stretching out in front of her, she wandered along the shore, the waves splashing her bare feet in rippling currents, her chestnut hair piled into a messy knot at the top of her head.

Then she met him.

She actually kind of stumbled upon him, seeing him sitting on some rocks all by himself, his eyes fixated on the waves crashing softly against the shore. He was extremely handsome, she couldn't deny that. His facial features were all kinds of sharp and angular, his jaw was strong, those strong, muscular arms of his tanned and scarred. His jet-black hair matched his neatly trimmed beard. Sally knew, just by observing him from afar, that he had to be the most stunning man she'd ever laid eyes on.

She didn't know who he was, or where he came from, but he told her his name Poseidon, which was funny considering the fact that Sally liked Greek Mythology. She wasn't a fanatic by any means, but some of the stories and legends she could really get into. She also learned that she liked his eyes. A lot. They were a beautiful shade of sea-green, deep and piercing, the expression in them old, however, and maybe even a little bit sad. Sally could tell he was older than her, but she didn't dare ask about his age. It wasn't an important matter to delve into, because she doubted she would see him again.

They talked for about two hours when Sally realized how late it had gotten. After saying goodbye to him, she walked back to the cabin, disappointment nagging at the back of her head. He was a mere strange, and still she couldn't help but wish to perhaps see him again someday.

Two weeks later, and Sally found herself at Montauk again. She had never planned to go back there. Except for the beautiful landscape there wasn't anything binding her to that place. But something had drawn her to the beach. Something had awakened her curiosity. It wasn't until she met Poseidon by the shore that she understood the reason why. She sat next to him again, and they talked about all the things they liked about the ocean while the seagulls screeched above them. He didn't talk about himself often, he rather listened to her ramble on about college, her books, and her friends.

Those encounters continued happening. They never met anywhere else but Montauk, and Sally kind of liked that. Maybe it gave her the feeling that the fragile bond she shared with Poseidon was special, something that was only reserved for her.

That changed, however, when they started to go up to the cabin, and Sally noticed he started opening himself up to her more. He told her about his siblings and his nephews and nieces while she listened to him with a smile on her face, her fingers absently running over his forearms. He was strong and intimidating, all man and experienced, nothing like the college boys she used to hang around with, but he was also gentle. He had a kindness inside him she'd never found in anyone else before. His smile that had deep wrinkles appearing at the corners of his eyes always left her breathless. Things became more intense, more heated, and when they kissed for the first time, it felt as if she was trapped in the middle of a storm, the world around them disappearing as they lost themselves in each other over and over again.

He made love to her, night after night, his strong hands moving across her pale, softly curved body, his lips tracing every single freckle on her skin. Whispering sweet nothings into her ear, he moved deep within her as she raked her nails across his back, leaving her mark on him. He caressed her breasts and the curve of her hips while she took every kiss and every deep thrust to herself, shuddering when he came deep inside her, taking her with him over the edge of ecstasy.

Sally knew.

She'd fallen in love with Poseidon.

But she also knew something was off about him. Whenever he was truly angry, she could almost feel that heaviness in the room. She could almost taste the salty water of the sea. Sometimes, when he was angry enough and she closed her eyes, she could imagine herself standing on a wooden raft in the middle of a raging sea. She thought it felt magnificent. It would feel downright terrifying to other people, but to Sally it felt like being set free. There was a hidden power beneath his skin that made him appear bigger than life, bigger than anything else on earth.

So when he told her about who he really was, she wondered if she should have been surprised. Frankly, she'd already seen it coming. She had seen monsters, the real deal, all her life long. It wasn't that much of a shock when Poseidon told her he really was Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. Sally felt dumbfounded, of course, she was beyond astonished and amazed, but at the same time that revelation opened her eyes to a world she'd seen only a fraction of. It didn't just consist of monsters. Mount Olympus existed, as did the Olympians and thousands of other gods. Every Greek creature she'd ever heard of walked among the planet, and the gods still visited the mortal world to mingle with humans, spring demigods. Knowing all that alone made Sally's head spin, her mind not really capable of grasping that reality.

She also found out what exactly her ability was. She was a clear-sighted mortal, as Poseidon explained to her, one of the few rare humans gifted with the ability to see through the mist that clouded the mortals' eyes, preventing them of seeing the other world like Sally did. It was both amazing and frightening.

A few weeks after New Year's Eve, Sally made a shocking discovery. She sat on her bed alone in her room, staring down at the test she was holding between her fingers, the two lines telling her one truth - she was pregnant.

Pregnant.

With Poseidon's child at that.

It was hard to take that in. Babies were a subject she had paid little attention to, expecting to have one or two kids when she was older, more mature, more stable in her life. She had no idea what to think of that, how she should tell her parents and her friends, and more importantly … what she should tell Poseidon. She wasn't stupid. She knew in an instant the child wouldn't be fully human - it would be half-human, half-god. The lump in her throat tightened as Sally thought about all the ancient stories of Hercules, Theseus, and many others. Each one of them had been the child of a god, had been forced to go through horrible trials only to find an awful death at the end.

Sally didn't want that for her child, but she also knew she wasn't going to get rid of the baby.

When she told Poseidon about the pregnancy, he was both the saddest and happiest she'd ever seen him be. He sat her down on the couch and told her about the pact he'd made with his brothers - no more demigod children for they were too powerful. Their baby would be seen as a threat, a danger.

With that also came another truth that left her breathless in pain.

Poseidon wouldn't stay forever.

He had a wife and other children, it was forbidden for him to raise his mortal offspring, the Ancient Laws telling that gods weren't allowed to interfere with the lives of demi-gods. He had a kingdom to rule and their lives were as different as it could be. She was a mortal woman and he was a God. The both of them weren't supposed to be together forever.

All of that and much more led to the moment where Sally gave birth to a baby girl after nine months of uncertainty and fear. She stared at the baby in her arms, surprised that it was a girl because they had anticipated a boy. The doctor had even told her that she awaiting a son, not a daughter. But upon looking at the squirming baby in her arms that was blinking at her tiredly, a tuft of dark hair on its head, her heart practically spilled over with love. Smiling in amazement, Sally grabbed her daughter's tiny hand, bringing it up to her lips to place a gentle kiss on it. The girl's eyes were almost fully closed, her small mouth faintly forming a silent O, but Sally still saw that her daughter's eyes were her father's eye color. A deep sea green with tiny turquoise and black speckles around the pupils, the color of an endless sea full of mysteries and treasures.

It was unusual that she didn't have the normal baby blue eye color, but Sally supposed that was something every demigod child shared.

"How are you going to name her?" The doctor asked.

Sally smiled, not once lifting her gaze from her daughter who was now fully asleep in her arms, her tiny face pressed against the warmth of her chest. "Perseia," she said lovingly, her index finger softly stroking the baby's cheek. "Her name is Perseia Nyx Jackson."

.

.

.

One week after giving birth to Perseia, Sally could go home. She had decided to stay in her own apartment that was close to her parents' house. Thanks to all gods, her parents and her friends were helping her, so that she could balance college and raising her daughter at the same time. They didn't know anything about Poseidon. Sally had never told them about him and she intended to keep it that way. Their relationship was coming to an end, she was aware of that, and she didn't want the people around her sticking their nose into that matter.

It was late in the evening when he knocked at her door.

She was busy breastfeeding her daughter, softly whispering loving words to the baby girl who listened attentively. Perseia was a quiet baby. She didn't cry a lot, was always constant by being near her mother. It was hard taking care of a baby, of course, but Sally wouldn't trade the happiness which was her daughter for anything in the world.

"There you go, baby girl," Sally muttered softly, putting her down into the crib. Her daughter stared back at her with eyes that reminded her so much of Poseidon it was almost painful to look at her. Sally pulled her robe tighter around her body, brushing a brunette strand of hair behind her ear as she played with her daughter's small hands. It was in that moment that she heard the knock on the front door.

Furrowing her brow in confusion, Sally looked at her daughter who was busy trying to fit her tiny fist into her mouth, and left the nursery. When she opened the door, her jaw almost dropped in surprise. Poseidon stood there with an uncertain look in his gaze. He took her in with his eyes, causing her to pull her robe tighter around herself as her cheeks reddened slightly.

"Sally," he breathed softly.

"P-Poseidon …" she said breathlessly. "What are you doing here?"

He seemed hesitant, almost awkward as he stared into her azure eyes that he'd fallen in love with in the first place. "I came to see you, Sally. And our son, of course. I would like to meet him if that's fine with you."

She took a sharp intake of breath, running a hand through her long hair. Poseidon didn't know that he had a daughter. He still believed she had given birth to a boy. Sally stepped aside, gesturing for him to come in. "Yes, sure. Please come in."

"I'm sorry if it's not a good time," he sighed as he stepped into her apartment, his sea-green eyes looking down at her with a silent apology inside them. Sally smiled weakly. He still had the ability to make her go weak in the knees with just one look. His voice sounded strangely nonchalant, but she knew him too well to know that he tried to cover his longing and worry as much as he could. "I must've completely thrown you off with my visit."

"No, it's okay," she whispered. "You're always welcome here, please don't doubt that. I just thought … that it was too dangerous for you to visit."

"It is," Poseidon admitted, his eyes wandering across the room, taking in the tasteful decorations and furnishing. "I took care of everything to make it less dangerous, but I still can't be here for too long, otherwise my presence will attract unwanted attention."

Sally flinched slightly when her daughter chose that time to let out a tired whine. She watched as Poseidon's head snapped into the direction the sound had come from and she could see the widening of his eyes. Leading him into the nursery, she leaned over the crib, grabbing her daughter who was softly whining, and turned to Poseidon.

"Time to meet your daddy, princess," she whispered against the forehead of the baby before gazing at Poseidon who looked like he'd been slapped across the face. "Poseidon, meet our daughter, Perseia Nyx Jackson."

The first thing Poseidon saw was a pair of beautiful sea-green eyes that stared at him curiously. His first thought was that the girl had inherited his eyes. He was pretty sure that she could even wrap Hades around her little finger with those innocent eyes.

His eyes snapped back to Sally, and he whispered her name in disbelief.

"I know," she said with a small chuckle. "It surprised me, too. It thought right until the end that it was a boy, but then the doctor put this beautiful girl into my arms."

"A daughter," he breathed, taking a deep, shaky breath. "I've never had a mortal daughter before."

"I know," Sally said again. She had to admit, she was surprised when she saw an emotion in his eyes that she'd never seen before there – fear. "But as the saying goes – there's a first time for everything, right?"

"I just –" Poseidon shook his head as though not believing his own eyes. Gods, he had a daughter. A little girl. What the Tartarus was he supposed to do with a daughter? He'd always had boys, he never even thought about the possibility of someday having a mortal daughter. As he stared back at the baby who drooled all over its tiny fist, those big eyes still staring at him silently, he knew that he was blessed with something beautiful. "Can I … can I hold her?"

Sally smiled. "Of course."

As she handed him his daughter, he closed his arms around her small body, staring down at the huge eyes that reminded him so much of his own. Then, slowly, becoming familiar with the arms she was suddenly put into, his daughter gave him a toothless grin, and Sally could practically see him melting into a puddle.

"She's beautiful," he muttered in awe. He would have to prepare his army of Cyclopes for when she was older – just in case some mortal or, even worse, a god might get the idea of wooing his precious baby girl. When he took her small hand into his large one, her tiny fist immediately closed around his index finger with a strength he didn't know an infant could possess. "You do remember everything I told you about Camp Half-Blood, Sally?"

"Yes, I do," she nodded tiredly. "But to be completely honest, I don't want to send her to that place at all. I don't want my daughter to be raised by strangers."

Poseidon sighed softly. "It wouldn't be that way, my love. She doesn't have to go all year-long, she could only go for the summer. And when she's strong enough to deal with the monsters on her own, she could come back to you and not go at all anymore. You have to be rational about that. I'm sorry for doing this to you both, but closing your eyes and ignoring the monsters won't do any good. Our daughter has to be trained at Camp, so she can learn how to fight and how to survive. She's a hero, Sally. They normally don't tend to lead safe lives."

"I know." Sally's voice sounded thin.

"My offer still stands, Sally," Poseidon said as he stared at his former lover he still felt deeply for. "I love you, Sally, and I would give everything to be with you and our daughter. My brothers would kill you and our child without hesitation, but you and Perseia can go into my domain. You could live there. You'd be safe there, both of you. I promise that I won't do anything to make you regret that if you take that offer. I would make sure that you have everything you want and ever wished for."

Sally stared at him, not having expected his words. Her heart warmed upon hearing him say that, but she knew that his plan wasn't really realistic, even though he seemed to believe that. She didn't want to go into hiding, leaving everything behind and robbing her daughter of choice. She wanted her daughter to live her life to her fullest, to make her own experiences and choices. She didn't want her to live under the sea with no chance of seeing the beauty of the world and meet other people, go to school, fall in love, build her own life.

"Poseidon, we've already been over this," she whispered, exhaustion creeping up her bones. "Things aren't that simple. You have a wife and your other children there. I still love you so much, I'll never stop, but I'm a mortal woman, and you're a god. We're just not destined. I can't expect of you the things that I want because you're not human, my love. We have to accept that before it's going to hurt us both even more."

The look on his face was heartbreaking. "Sally, please just …" He sounded so desperate. "I won't give up. I have already built our house in the sea. I'm only waiting for the day I can bring you and our daughter home."

Sally was silent, not knowing what to say. She was almost glad when the baby girl in Poseidon's arms let out a soft whine, looking at both her parents who shifted their attention to her. Perseia looked like she was about to cry, as though she understood every word her parents had shared.

"My beautiful daughter," Poseidon whispered in Ancient Greek, trying to soothe her. "I know you won't remember me when you're older, but I still want you to know that I love you so much. Never doubt that. You're so loved by me and your mother. I know that life won't be easy on you, and I hate that I can't be a visible presence in your life, watching you grow up into the strong, beautiful woman you're meant to become, but I will help you any way I can." His daughter babbled something to him as she lifted her tiny hand to pat his cheek, giggling at the feel of his beard. He smiled as he placed a loving kiss on her palm. "I'm so sorry for the burden you will bear and the obstacles you'll encounter as my child, but don't ever doubt my love for you, my daughter. I'm already so proud of you."

Upon placing a kiss on her forehead, he gave her his blessing. Sally felt his power flare briefly, leaving the fresh smell of an ocean's breeze. As he put his daughter down into her crib, the baby girl fell asleep watching her parents leave the room, saying goodbye to each other with the knowledge that this was probably the last time they would see each other for a long time.

.

.

.

The baby grew up to be a beautiful girl.

There were many times when Sally thought about the 'what ifs' that would have followed if she'd accepted Poseidon's invitation, but at the end of the day she knew she had made the right choice. There was nothing more beautiful than seeing her baby girl run up to her, excitedly telling her about the new friends she'd made.

Perseia, or simply Percy as she demanded to be called, was a happy, spirited little girl. She drew people to her like a moth to flame, and could get herself anything just by widening her eyes and blinking innocently. Sally had developed a defense mechanism against that, she just had to as a mother. Nevertheless, it was sometimes far too amusing to watch whenever her daughter worked her magic. It got her out of lots of trouble, because as adorable as Percy was, she also reminded Sally of a little hurricane at times.

Gods be damned, Sally thought one evening after having convinced Percy to get rid of some of her old dolls, that girl can sure as hell throw a tantrum.

That was proof of her being truly Poseidon's child. As a kid, Sally had never been one of the wild ones, so it was only Poseidon's temper that spoke from Percy whenever she wouldn't get her way. It wasn't just the temper, though. The way she would pronounce a word or frown deep in thought was entirely Poseidon, too. And she liked a challenge. Sally had lost count of how many things Percy was determined to try - first, it was drawing; as it turned out, her daughter wasn't really capable in that area, her pictures resembling a tornado in numerous different colors she had just mixed together for the sake of it. Still, Sally pinned the drawing to the fridge with a proud look. After deciding drawing was boring, Percy demanded to go to ballet classes. That was a success, though. She stuck with it and announced excitedly that she wanted to become a professional ballerina after just her first day at the dancing school. Playing an instrument, however, was a disaster. Needless to say, the only thing Percy managed to do was elicit a few cringe-worthy accords from the acoustic guitar.

They didn't live the most luxurious life, but Percy was happy and content with what they had, and for Sally that was the most important thing. She was still a little too young to understand why her father was lost at sea, as Sally had explained to her the first time Percy asked about her dad, but it didn't keep her from asking questions - but we have to find him, Mommy, if he's lost at sea. When will he come back to us? Did he love us?

Percy asked questions that were the most difficult to answer. She longed for a father's embrace, for someone to call her 'princess' like the dads of her friends called their daughters. Sally had once caught her writing a letter to her father. I will throw it into the sea, her six-year-old said, showing her the message she'd written in her messy child's handwriting, maybe the fishes will bring this to my dad.

Sally just hoped her daughter wouldn't develop a grudge for him not being there at a time when she so obviously needed a father in her life.

But the weirdest thing happened on a sun-filled afternoon when Sally took her daughter to the park. She sat on a squeaky bench, keeping an eye on Percy who dug around in the sand with her pink toy shovel, obviously planning on building a sandcastle. Her dark hair, braided into pigtails, shone in the sun, and the laughter bubbling from her lips whenever she interacted with the other kids brought a smile to Sally's face.

"She's gorgeous," a female voice said out of nowhere. Sally jumped, putting a hand on her chest to calm her racing heart, and turned to look at the woman who had appeared beside her. She was, to put it simply, stunning. With honey-blonde hair flowing across her back and eyes that seemed to change colors like a kaleidoscope. It wasn't hard to guess her identity - Poseidon had once told her about the distinctive features of the other gods.

"Lady Aphrodite?"

"The one and only," Aphrodite smiled, crossing her long legs. "It seems Poseidon didn't leave you clueless."

Sally stared at her. She blinked several times. "I don't want to sound disrespectful, but … what are you doing here?"

The goddess sighed, the smile leaving her face to make place for a deep frown. "Don't worry, my dear. I'm not here to harm you or your daughter. I want to offer you my help."

"Help?" Sally looked at her with a baffled expression. "What kind of help? I'm sorry, but I'm just not in the habit of having an Olympian visit me and offer me their help."

Instead of smiting her or sending her into Nirvana with a snap of her fingers, Aphrodite laughed, the sound spreading across the park like a gentle breeze. "Sally, I'm perfectly aware of who your daughter's father is - no need to panic about that. I must admit I'm not always the one playing matchmaker, sometimes people feel drawn to each other on their own, but I still do sense those feelings, the attraction." Aphrodite glanced over at Percy, who was happily letting sand run through her fingers. "I want to offer you my assistance. I want your daughter to be my champion."

"Your champion?" Silence hang between them. Aphrodite waited for her response, and Sally struggled to say something. "Why?"

"I'm going to be honest with you, Sally. Your daughter won't have it easy once she gets introduced to our world. She will need someone to have her back, and I sense great potential in her. Call it whatever you want, but I genuinely want to help your daughter," Aphrodite explained. She sounded grave, maybe even a little sad, but when Sally met her eyes, she saw nothing but honesty.

"What does being your champion entail?" Sally was still not sure about that whole champion business. Putting a part of her daughter's safety into the hands of a goddess sounded like a damn wrong idea.

"I would be her patron, for once. As you may know, a patron protects the people it's responsible for. Your daughter's scent would go unnoticed by monsters for a little while longer. She would, of course, have some powers similar to mine - for example, she'd find it much easier to learn French than the average human. I'd guide her through difficult trials, and unlike her father, I would be allowed to interfere directly."

Sally didn't answer. She let the words sink in, knowing it should be too good to be true, but there she was, having Aphrodite's offer dangle in front of her like a necklace meant to hypnotize her.

"Can I … can I think about it?"

"Of course." Aphrodite smiled brilliantly. "Take all the time you need. When you're ready to make a choice, you just have to summon me by praying to me."

Sally nodded. "All right." Just as the goddess was about to disappear, she added, "Lady Aphrodite … thank you."

The Olympian goddess smiled, her gaze once again flickering to Percy with an unreadable expression, before she said, "You're very welcome, dear."

Then she disappeared in a twirl of her red dress, leaving behind the scent of roses and cherries.

.

.

.

Sally did agree a few weeks later, and Aphrodite made an oath on the River Styx to always guide Perseia Jackson into the light.

As the years passed by, life started to look good. Just two years after her encounter with Aphrodite, Sally published her first book, which became a hit in many countries, even earning her the first place on New York Times' best sellers. For the first time in her life, she had the promise of a comfortable life, and the first thing she did was ditch their shabby apartment and move into a nice house in the suburban area of New York.

She never married anyone.

She did date a few guys, but most men ran away screaming the moment they learned she was a single mom. The few that didn't - well, those just turned out to be slimy assholes.

It was the middle of March, 2006, when her daughter's life changed drastically. It happened without any warning sensations - Percy drove off to school, and a few hours later Sally received a call from a Mr. Brunner, who informed her that they had sent someone from Camp Half-Blood Hill to watch over her daughter.


	2. A Half-Blood Found

**A/N:** Yes, I'm alive. And I am incredibly sorry it took me so long to post this chapter. I'm not gonna lie – this chapter was a bitch to write, and I ended up writing it thousands of times before I finally settled on this version, which I'm frankly quite satisfied with. I hope you will be, too! Also, thank you _so_ much for the lovely reviews and all the favorites and follows! You guys are the best. I hope you're still here, even though it has been _months_ since I posted this story.

So, for those of you who are wondering: yes, Percy is quite girly, but that's because I want her to be this way. Nearly all fem!Percy stories I've encountered so far have portrayed her as very tomboyish, which I am a bit tired of. To each their own, of course, but if you genderbend a male character to a female one, you should make sure your character lives, feels, and wants like a female. The personality is the most important thing to change in genderbends, because if you don't – then what's even the point of the story? The change of personality from male to female effects the entire plot and the decisions of the main character.

But nevermind, I just wanted to clarifiy my reasoning behind making Percy girly! By the way, I will reply to your lovely comments after I get some sleep, because it's currently 3 a.m. in my country, and this girl here is _tired._

I hope you'll find this chapter to your satisfaction, it's quite lengthy. In the next one, we'll start delving into the events of _The Lightning Thief!_

Reviews are strawberries dripping with chocolate.

* * *

 **DESTINY CALLING**

 **2.** A HALF-BLOOD FOUND

.

,

 **G** rover Underwood was a proud satyr.

He was proud of his family line, of his ancestors, who had sacrificed themselves in their search for Pan, their lost, venerable god. He was proud to be part of Camp Half-Blood, a place that protected the mortal offspring of the Greek Gods and allowed them to train their skills and reach their potential. He was proud of everything his relatives and fellow satyrs had accomplished, and he wished that, one day, he could become just as great. He wished he could leave their shadow and find his own destination.

On the morning of September 1st, 2005, however, Grover Underwood wished the earth would swallow him. The pride had left his bones.

Standing underneath the shadow of a massive oak tree, he surveyed the parking lot before him, struggling to find a spark of courage within himself _or_ pride or anything for that matter, really. _Goode High School._ He still couldn't believe that, apparently, an unidentified half-blood went to school here. People crowded the parking lot, their voices a buzz of conversations about the summer. Students hang out in groups by the curb, and the sound of car doors being slammed wavered through the humid air. Grover grimaced, rubbing his ears, which suffered from the volume. Satyr senses were, unfortunately, not always an advantage.

 _It'll be okay,_ he told himself mentally. _You just need to figure out who the half-blood is. It'll be over before you know it._

Grover swung his backpack over his shoulder, preparing himself to tackle this school experience. Little droplets of sweat ran down his neck as he left the tree's protection and crossed the parking lot. Really, the heat didn't make it any easier. He squinted his eyes, glancing at the sky, which was blue enough to swim in. It'd been hot and humid like this for several weeks now. It didn't look like the temperature would cool down anytime soon, which made Grover wonder; was Apollo angry, or did he just feel particularly happy?

Well, it didn't matter.

It wasn't his place to question why the gods did what they did.

The school building itself was large, three stories high, the outside walls constructed with crimson bricks. With his hands clasped tightly around the backpack's straps, Grover entered the main hall, which wasn't less packed than the parking lot. Someone bumped into him rather forcefully, and he stumbled back a few steps, his mouth opening to release an irritated bleat. He held it back, though. It wouldn't do him anything good to blow his cover this early. He had vowed to himself that, this time, he wouldn't fail. Even though he felt rather sick as he tried to find the school office, craning his neck to get a look over the students, Grover scrambled up enough of his determination to push through the crowd.

The school's office was much more quiet than the main hall. A small buzzing fan stood on the desk, at which an elderly woman with frizzy, ginger hair sat, typing something into the computer. The clatter of the keyboard resounded in the office whenever her fingers hit the keys. Grover looked around, a little uncertain. Posters lined the walls, colorful and handmade, informing about upcoming school events. A few students sat on the chairs arranged along the wall. They looked up at Grover's entrance, eyeing him briefly before turning away.

Grover took a deep breath and approached the desk.

The secretary tore her gaze away from the computer to stare at him, her expression dismissive. The name tag on her ruffled, lime green blouse read _P. Catrall._ "What can I help you with, Mr. … ?"

"Underwood," Grover hurried to say. "My … my name is Grover Underwood. I was told to come here to pick up my schedule. I'm, uh, I'm new here."

"I see."

Without saying anything else, the woman turned away, leaving Grover to look at her a bit helplessly. She clicked a few times on her computer mouse, and seconds later the printer started running. As she arranged his papers, Grover glanced over to the few students in the office. Two girls were among them, both blondes. They were pretty, certainly, but it took him little to no time to figure out that they were those popular, mean girls Grover usually tried to keep his distance from. Still, his curiosity won. He strained his ears to hear what they were talking about in hushed voices.

"Have you heard?" The girl posing the question had fair skin, her blonde hair lighter than her friend's. Her features looked quite nordic. "Percy's dating Justin Walker."

Her friend gaped at her. She had been touching up her makeup, a small hand mirror in her grip, but the other girl's words had made her stop momentarily. "Shut up! There's no way they're _dating_. It's gotta be a rumor."

"Could be. But I heard they were awfully cozy with each other at Allison's birthday party. Some even say that Justin stopped seeing other girls afterwards."

Grover tuned out of the conversation when the secretary handed him his papers. He would never understand how a girl's mind worked, really. Thanking the elderly woman, he hastened out of the room, his eyes lowered to his schedule. He had a double period English now, and after that - Latin with a Mr. Brunner. He smiled at that, remembering Chiron's words: _I will be impersonating your Latin teacher. I will go by the name Mr. Brunner._

It was a small relief, knowing he wasn't alone at this school.

The half-blood, however, still had to be found.

 **(.D::C.)**

Perseia Jackson didn't know her life was about to change drastically when, that morning, her mother pulled up to the curb of the parking lot to let her out. It was the first day back to school after a wonderful, long summer, and as she looked out of the rolled down car window, she only worried about classes and exams. In several years along the line, she would cry in relief if school were the only thing for her to be concerned about. But as it was, her destiny was lurking just right around the corner, and it would thoroughly shake her up once it reached her.

"Have a nice day back to school, honey," her mother said.

Percy turned away from the window to look at her. The years had been kind to her mom. Her brunette locks fell loosely around her shoulders, and her blue eyes shone like a tropical sea underneath a sunset. She sat in the driver's seat, her fingers curled around the wheel. Her mother was a large source of inspiration to Percy. She knew she hadn't always been easy in her early teens, but the woman had raised her all by herself, without any support from her absent father. She had achieved a breakthrough as a writer, which had made it possible for them to live a somewhat comfortable life. She looked good, dressed good, took care of herself, and managed to be kind to strangers.

In a lot of ways, Percy's mother was her hero.

"Your optimism knows no limit," she said dryly, pushing her tinted shades up, which had skidded down to the tip of her nose. She glanced out of the window again. Beneath the scorching sun, the evergreen trees stood tall and proud. A few milky clouds floated across the sky on their way to some foreign destination. The heat stuck to her like a blanket that had been boiled over a blue flame. Percy wore only a flimsy top and denim shorts today, and the leather seat burnt her bare shoulders and the back of her thighs.

Her mother chuckled. "Don't be cynical. Now go find your friends and have fun."

"All right, all right," Percy sighed, grabbing her bag and opening the car door. The metal handle nearly burned her fingers. A gust of hot, oppressive air hit her face. She looked around the parking lot, searching for the faces of her friends, but the place was so full of people she didn't know where to look first. _Great_. Knowing how the student population liked to suck up to her, she would probably have to go through lots and lots of small talk with people she either didn't like or simply didn't know enough.

"Oh, and honey?" Percy turned around to give her mother a quizzical look. "Try to stay out of trouble this year, all right?"

She rolled her eyes. "I promise. Love you, mom."

Her mother gave her a smile, waved one last time, and drove off from the parking lot. Percy watched the car become smaller in the distance until it completely disappeared from her sight. She was just about to turn away and head for the school entrance when a high-pitched, female voice called her name. She recognized the voice in an instant, her face cracking into a smile at the girl hurrying toward her. She was pretty in a very sweet way, golden-brown locks bouncing around her face, and eyes the shade of dark moss. Bangles clattered around her wrists when she pulled Percy into a tight hug.

"Hi, Allie," Percy said to her friend. "All good?"

Allison Meadowes had been her friend for almost two years now. She was a nice girl, a little ditzy at times, but still popular among the students. Their friendship wasn't very deep or meaningful. It was based on their mutual interests for the opposite gender and all things makeup and fashion. Outside of school, they didn't meet very often, only when they hang out with other people. Still, Percy considered Allison her closest friend.

"It couldn't be better," Allison chirped, linking their arms together as they started for the main entrance. "Have you heard about the new guy?"

Percy furrowed her brow. "We have a new guy?"

"Geez, have you been living under a rock? It's the gossip of the entire school." The school's main hall wasn't less crowded than the parking lot, the air humming with conversations and laughter. An upperclass girl stood on a chair, handing out reminders for the pep rally. "I hear he's quite the weirdo."

"I was … distracted," Percy explained, focusing on the first part of her friend's words. "You'll need to bring me up to date with the gossips."

Allison's expression turned mischievous. "Let me guess - your distraction was cute, charming, brown-eyed, and goes by the name Justin Walker?"

"What about me?"

Startled, the two girls turned around.

Justin Walker, the boy Allison mentioned, smiled at them, a quizzical look on his face. His eyes were, indeed, brown; a color, which looked rather plain on him, even though he was a handsome boy with his wavy, brown hair, and his even-toothed smile. He was also Percy's boyfriend of nearly two months. The other girls at school found him positively lovely; a fact, which Percy couldn't disagree with.

"Nothing," Percy answered quickly, standing on her toes to give him a chaste kiss. "Allie's just being annoying."

Allison huffed, but didn't say anything. Even if she did, Percy wouldn't have heard it.

She had known Justin prior to becoming his girlfriend, of course, seeing as how he was the most popular guy in the school. But there had never been an opportunity for her to actually get to know him. At Allison's birthday party, during the summer holidays, they had, however, spend some time together. One thing lead to another, and they had become a couple quickly afterwards, which Percy couldn't be happier about. Justin was a decent guy. He was gentle with her, and he agreed to ' _taking things slow'_.

"How have you been these past days?" Percy asked, her arms linking around his neck.

He sighed. "Miserable. I had to spend them without my girlfriend."

Percy bit her lip, stifling a giggle. "Really? Must be a pretty crappy girlfriend, then."

"The best, actually."

The butterflies clapped their wings like crazy inside her belly. She smiled, pushing up on her toes again, her lips brushing against his in the ghost of a kiss. His hands fell to her hips. They broke apart when Allison cleared her throat, making them turn around to peer at her sheepishly. "My god, you're disgustingly adorable," Allison said and rolled her eyes.

Percy gave a half-shrug, a grin tugging at her lips, while Justin laughed. "We better get going," he said, sparing a glance at his watch. "Classes are starting in about ten minutes."

 **(.D::C.)**

Grover couldn't wait for the day to finally be over.

At the beginning of the period, he had been forced to introduce himself, and it had been horrible. The English teacher was an elderly man, who talked endlessly about his dead wife he still loved very much. It would have been sweet in any other situation, but in this case, it had been torturous. When the bell rang, signaling the end of the double period, Grover couldn't get out of the room fast enough. Luckily, the students had left him alone, which was a pleasant surprise. Kids usually threw themselves at him like starved animals as soon as they found out he was an easy target.

In the hallway, Grover looked around to see anything that might lead him to his Latin class, but the crowd of students was very hard to look across. The sound of lockers being slammed echoed across the school like the beat of a drum, over and over again. He lowered his gaze, avoiding any attention-drawing moves. He'd been doing quite well with not being noticed since the beginning of the day, and changing that fact wasn't anything he was keen to do. Unfortunately, his luck didn't last long.

As Grover rounded a corner, he only saw a pair of white sneakers before bumping very hard into the unfamiliar person, who had turned the corner at the same time.

 _Okay, nothing too dramatic,_ anyone might think at first. But the girl Grover had run into held a bottle of grape juice, and the bottle was opened, which meant that half of the liquid spilled over the girl's top, turning the very white color into a deep, wet purple. It was so horrendous Grover nearly burst into tears right then and there.

"I'm - I'm so sorry," he stuttered, his chin trembling. "I didn't mean to run into you!"

So consumed in his desperation, he didn't notice the girl taking a pause to look him over. He didn't even notice that she wasn't looking too angry with him. "Hey, relax," she said, raising a shoulder in a half-shrug. Her voice was soft and low, stroking over his skin like the whistle of birds or maybe even like the soothing sprinkling of a creek. "It's okay. Look, it's just a shirt, nothing special. I have tons of others at home."

"I am so -"

 _Wait, what?_

Grover blinked at her, confused. It was the first time he _actually_ took a look at her. The first thing he noticed was her height. She was _tiny_ , only about five foot two, and of a petite build. She seemed to be sixteen years of age, and her face was so beautiful he couldn't help but stare for a minute or two. It was smooth, hard, flawless, and delicate all at once, reminding him of porcelain dolls. She had inky black hair, which was pulled into a long, bouncy ponytail, the tips curling and twisting towards the end. Her eyes rendered him speechless. They were large and wide-set, with sweeping lashes and dark brows, the color an iridescent sea-green quite like the translucent water of a lagoon. They were expressive, incredibly bright, and yet they lingered on the knife's edge of being dark.

Most importantly, her scent was so distinctive it flooded Grover's senses with the sharp awareness of who, or rather _what_ , the girl in front of him was.

She didn't seem to mind him gawking at her. "Hey, aren't you the new guy?"

It took him several seconds to grasp her words. "Uh, yeah, I guess I am."

"Sweet." She smiled, her plump lips stretching to reveal pearly white teeth. "I'm Percy Jackson. Well, actually Perseia, but please don't call me that. I have no idea what my mother was high on when she gave me that name."

"Grover … that's my name," he said, struggling to tear his eyes away from her face. Her smell was incredibly potent. It burned in his nose, making him wonder how she was still alive. Monsters had to be coming at her from every corner. "Grover Underwood."

"Nice to meet you, Grover."

She held out her hand. He stared at it, still in a stupor, before understanding what she waited for. Grasping her small hand, he shook it quickly. Right then, a girl with golden-brown locks called across the hallway, "Percy, are you coming or what?"

Percy glanced at her. "Look, Grover, I gotta go now, but we could meet later in the cafeteria? I'll introduce you to my friends?"

Her friends? Grover blinked at the girl waiting for her. She looked like she belonged to the popular crowd, which meant Percy was a part of them, too. It wouldn't be wise to join them. He swallowed, opening his mouth to give her an answer, but she interrupted him.

"I know they come across like bark and bite, but they're actually really harmless," she said, voicing his thoughts out loud. "Just join us later at our table, yeah? And stop worrying about my shirt, it's not the end of the world."

With those words, she took off. Grover watched her leave the hallway with her friend, his mind still in the process of working out what just happened. Her smell wavered in the air, not as distinctive as it was when she had been in front of him, but still prominent enough to make her stand out from the crowd.

 _Chiron,_ Grover thought suddenly. _I have to tell Chiron._

 **(.D::C.)**

"It's the girl!"

Chiron lifted his gaze, frowning.

Grover stormed into his office, wheezing, hands on his knees. His face looked quite red from running, and his backpack dangled from his left shoulder. The poor boy collapsed on the chair in front of Chiron's desk and took a tissue, dabbing the sweat from his forehead.

"I'm sorry?" Chiron looked at him over the edge of his reading spectacles.

"The half-blood! I've found her."

Chiron went still for a moment, his wise, brown eyes studying him intently. Then, he closed the book he'd been reading prior, and leaned forward, folding his hands together. "Please elaborate."

"Her name's Percy Jackson." Grover spoke so quickly he nearly stumbled over his own words. "I don't know if you've seen her in your class yet. I just met her in the hallway and her scent is … it's really, really potent."

"How potent exactly?"

Grover lowered his voice to a whisper, his chin trembling. "Honestly? It scared me a bit."

Chiron remained silent. He looked around his office, as if searching for a answer to his unspoken questions. His bow and his quiver full of arrows stood against the wall behind his desk, the mist securing it from curious mortal eyes, making it look like an umbrella. His gaze stopped on the window. Outside, a few students played basketball, enjoying their free period. But all that couldn't divert him from the words Grover had said; they had, quite likely, another mysterious demigod on their hands. Chiron's shoulders dropped. Those kind of demigods never had a somewhat peaceful life.

"What else do you know about her?"

"Not much," Grover admitted, gnawing at his fingernails. "I mean, she's different."

Chiron eyed him sharply. "Different?"

"Popular," the satyr explicated. "She seems nice enough, though." Grover's eyes darted around the room, as if to ensure no one was listening, which would appear ridiculous to mortals, because they were the only people in the office. But if you lived in the world they did, you would understand an unwelcome presence could always be listening in to their conversation. "Where do we go from here, Chiron?"

"For the moment, just keep an eye on her," Chiron sighed, taking off his spectacles to rub his eyes. He suddenly looked a lot older. "Try to befriend her. You have found her now, and if her scent is really as strong as you say, then it's only a matter of time until something sniffs her out."

 **(.D::C.)**

"Grover!"

Grover stopped in his tracks.

With the tray in his hands, he slowly turned around to face the direction Percy's voice had come from. He had recognized it instantly. It was too lovely to be mistaken for another's. His eyes found the girl at a table in the middle of the cafeteria, a few other people surrounding her. She waved at him, offering him to join them, and Grover couldn't refuse. It wasn't only that he remembered Chiron's words (" _try to befriend her"_ ), it was also the way she looked at him with hopeful eyes.

She _truly_ wanted him to sit at her table.

Grabbing his tray tighter, Grover approached the table, aware of the way her friends looked at him. He tried not to focus on that too hard. "H-Hi," he muttered.

Percy smiled at him, and if he thought prior she couldn't get any more beautiful than she already was, she proved him wrong now. It wasn't just her lips tugging upwards; it was her _eyes_ \- she smiled with them. All her features softened, and it made her look approachable and warm, quite like the gentle rush of waves crashing onto the shore beneath a darkening sky. It soothed Grover's worries. However odd it sounded, he was convinced that, with Percy near, he would be safe from potential bullies.

It certainly made it easier for him to sit down on one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs.

"Guys, this is Grover Underwood," Percy said, gesturing to him. "Grover, these are Allison, and Justin, who's also my lovely boyfriend. And this is his football buddy, Evan."

Grover forced a somewhat awkward smile onto his face, glancing shyly at the group.

"It's a little concerning that you still downgrade me to merely his football buddy, Jackson. I thought we'd be closer than that by now," Evan joked. He was a guy with flaxen hair and a square face. Just like Justin, Percy's boyfriend, he had too much gel on his head.

Percy rolled her eyes at him. "You'll get over it."

Instead of participating in the conversations, Grover lowered his gaze to his food, picking at his enchiladas and taking occasional sips from his apple juice. Every now and then, his eyes darted to Percy, who laughed with her friends. It was only now that he noticed her wearing a thin, zipped up hoodie over the top he had ruined. She had, like everyone else, a tray standing before her, which she had loaded with a salat, a granola bar, and a water bottle. She didn't eat anything of it, though, only taking a few bites of the bar and sipping her water.

Grover decided to keep his mouth shut about it.

Just as he was about to return to his own food, Percy's friend, Allison, leaned forward to study him with pursed lips. "So, how's your first day at school going?"

Surprised, Grover stared at her, not having expected her to actually talk to him. She eyed him expectantly, like a scientist would with his experiment, which was funny, because Grover _did_ feel as if he was on some kind of test. "Uh, fine," he stammered. "A little overwhelming."

Allison nodded, but Grover couldn't tell whether or not she was satisfied with the answer. He didn't have too much time to ponder over it, seeing as how Justin spoke up, "I'm curious, though. How did you two exactly meet?" He looked back and forth between Grover and his girlfriend.

"In the hallway," Percy answered, sending Grover a grin. "He's the one who ruined my shirt."

Evan let out a low whistle. "And you're still breathing? You're a lucky man. This girl has got some serious protective urges over her clothes. If it were me, she would've eaten me alive."

"Well, _you_ would have deserved it, McLeod," Percy retorted, flicking some scraps of her napkin at him.

As they continued to bicker, Grover kept glancing at the dark-haired girl. Her scent wafted through his nose, light and fresh, like exotic flowers and citrus fruits, with a hint of something that strangely reminded him of salt water. Grover wouldn't deny it; at first look, he had thought her godly parent to be Aphrodite. Perhaps even a minor god, like Persephone or Triton, because her beauty made him think of a warm spring and the seaside. It was, however, just at first glance. Her potent scent ruined those theories. He didn't dare to think further about how it reminded him of a girl, with black hair and electric blue eyes, whose scent had been scarily strong, too.

"So, Grover, do you play football?"

Grover looked up.

Percy's boyfriend stared at him, waiting for his response.

"Me? Oh, no, I don't." He fidgeted in his chair. "I'm not really gifted in sports. Even if I was, I still wouldn't be able to play."

"Why not?" Percy asked, stopping her bickering with Evan to eye him curiously.

"I have a muscle disease in my legs. I'm excluded from sports for the rest of my life."

Allison raised her eyebrows. "Really? Man, I would give anything for that right now. You know, being excluded from sports, not the disease part." She gave Percy a pointed look as she added, "My cheerleading captain has been all sorts of sadistic on me lately."

"Oh, quit whining," Percy snorted. Upon detecting Grover's confused look, she said, "I'm the captain."

"You're a torturer! You forced me to train in our summer holidays."

"Well, it's my first year as captain! I _have_ to be good to keep that title for the next two years. And it's only a few months until the football games start again. We have to be in our best shape by then."

Justin laid a hand on Percy's shoulders in an effort to calm her down. "Nobody disagrees with you, babe. Allie's just joking around."

Allison nodded. "Exactly."

Grover suspected that, given the chance, she would have said a lot more. He observed the two girls silently, trying to figure out what kind of dynamic their friendship had. He didn't have more time to think about it, as the bell rang out, signaling the end of the break. Picking his tray up, he stood with the rest of the group, briefly wondering whether or not he should follow them, but Percy answered that for him when she fell back slightly to talk to him.

"What classes do you have now?"

Grover watched as she threw her half-eaten salad away, wondering if she wasn't hungry at all. "Eh, Chemistry I believe," he said, placing his own empty tray on top of the used ones on the dish cart the staff had rolled in.

"That's neat." Percy swung her bag over her shoulder. "I have Chemistry now, too."

He was kept from replying when Justin and Evan approached them, the former putting his arm over Grover's shoulders, which made him look at the boy in confusion. "Percy, do you mind waiting for us at the class?" Justin asked with a warm smile. "We'll just have a quick guy chat."

She was clearly bemused, sending Grover a glance as if to ask if that was okay with him. He simply shrugged, the weight of Justin's arm on his shoulders heavy and uncomfortable.

"Fine," Percy sighed. "Be nice."

With those warning words to her boyfriend, she turned around and walked towards the swinging double doors, where Allison waited. The two girls disappeared, and Grover suddenly felt very much like an open target. Percy had given him a sense of security, the knowledge that, with her around, the other kids wouldn't dare pick on him, because it very much seemed like she had the entire school inside her hands. Grover struggled to suppress his growing disappointment in himself. He was the satyr. He should be the one to keep Percy safe, not the other way around.

"I assume," Justin started, "this has been the last time you've sat with us, Underwood?"

Grover's previous worries vanished to make place for new ones.

His eyes snapped up to the boy, whose voice had been casual, light, contradicting the words he had uttered. He tried to swallow the fear that sat at his throat like a thick lump. "Eh, well, I-I don't know. I mean, if Percy -"

"Yeah, about Percy," Justin interrupted, "I wouldn't get too attached to her. Don't get me wrong here. Girl's got some claws, and she's not afraid to use them, but she's a girl. She doesn't know what's good for her. So I suggest you stay away from her. I mean, no offense or anything, but she's really out of your league."

Grover stared at him, gobsmacked. The guy had seemed nice enough when they sat at the table, but now with Percy gone, it was like a mask fell off his face. He clearly thought he had some kind of control over Percy, which made Grover wonder whether or not she was aware that her boyfriend was a major douchebag in disguise. He swallowed several times, fighting to find his voice again. That was why he stayed away from the popular crowd; they didn't care for anyone less admired than them.

"What?" Grover stuttered. "No, I don't -"

Justin, however, didn't give him time to finish his response. He clapped him on the shoulder forcefully and left him standing at the swinging double doors. His friend, Evan, send him a nasty grin before following Justin out, and Grover stared after them with wide eyes, his hands trembling and his chin quivering.

"- see her that way."

 **(.D::C.)**

"What's your deal with the new guy?"

Percy stopped midway in tying her long hair up into a ponytail. Glancing at Allison through the mirror, she saw that her friend stuffed her cheerleading uniform into her sports bag. She didn't meet Percy's gaze, but her voice gave away her distaste. "You mean Grover?" Percy inquired. "I don't know. He's new. He doesn't know anyone. I wanna help him out. He seemed really lost when I met him at school this morning."

"He's weird."

Percy knew which direction this conversation was taking at once, and she didn't want to have it. She was simply too _exhausted_ to fight with Allison over it. It was late evening now, somewhere about a quarter to nine, and they finished cheerleading practice a few minutes ago. The other girls had already left. Now, it was just Allison and Percy in the locker room.

"How so?" Percy asked, wrapped the tie around her hair, and turned away from the mirror.

"Have you _seen_ him? He's like the male version of Nancy Bobofit, who is the ugliest girl at school. You shouldn't surround yourself with guys like Underwood."

Percy gritted her teeth, squeezing her gym shoes into her locker before closing it a little too forcefully. Anger boiled inside her slowly, faintly, waiting to be stoked further. Percy tried to keep it in check. She didn't always have a relatively good grip on her temper, but she tried to keep it under control in situations like this when she was simply too tired to let it out and have it wreak havoc. She wanted to grip Allison's shoulders and shake her, tell her to snap out of that attitude and understand that she wasn't better than people like Grover, just because she was well-liked.

"Listen, Allison," she huffed. "I believe it's my business which people I befriend. If you don't like it, fine. I won't force you to talk to or hang out with him. But I won't tolerate if you or anyone else for that matter decides to bully him, understand?"

Allison crossed her arms in front of her chest, eyeing the dark-haired girl silently. Percy was on the verge of being thoroughly pissed off, and it wouldn't do her any good to stoke that flame and turn it into a fire. She had seen Percy in her wrath once or twice. It had been … impressive. She didn't want that kind of anger focused on her, no matter how much she sometimes wanted to snarl at her, because deep down Allison knew she envied her friend, even though she would never admit it to herself. Percy was prettier than her, she was captain of the cheerleading team (something Allison had aspired to be nearly all her life), her boyfriend was the football star, and she had the entire school under her control.

 _It's unfair,_ she thought. _For her to have it all._

She didn't realize, however, how much Percy had struggled to reach the position she now had.

"Fine." Allison shifted uncomfortably. "If you say so."

Percy gave her a hard look. "I do."

"Anyways, I have to go now," Allison hurried to say. "Mom's waiting outside for me."

Percy watched her take her sports bag and leaving the locker room with quick steps, knowing Allison wasn't happy with what she had said, but wanted to avoid any awkwardness. Percy released a breath she had been holding inside. Pinching her lips together, she turned around to stuff her street clothes into her own bag, deciding to leave on her cheerleading uniform, which consisted of a cropped turtleneck with long sleeves and a pleated skirt that hit the mid of her thighs; both garments in the school colors, blue and white. She slipped on her white sneakers and looked around the locker room quickly to make sure she didn't forget anything before switching the light off and leaving.

Outside, the temperature had considerably cooled down, but it was still warm enough to walk around in a short skirt. The sky was already darkening, its expanse littered with the occasional star and the faint shape of the moon showing through. The air smelled of summer and gasoline, and a warm breeze swept across the area, stroking Percy's bare legs. The parking lot was nearly empty except for a group of guys that stood by a car. She didn't recognize them, which meant they were probably college dudes who sometimes enjoyed watching the training of the high school's football team.

They ceased their conversations when Percy passed them, their eyes glued to her figure, following her steps as she hurried across the parking lot. Thankfully, they didn't say anything or call after her. It wasn't much of an experience when guys cat-called at her on the streets, making vulgar remarks, which happened more often than Percy was comfortable with.

Percy's thoughts wandered back to Allison as she left the parking lot, thankful for the fact that her place was only a few blocks away. Their friendship had never been deep in the sense that Percy entrusted her with her secrets and most private concerns. It's what made Percy wonder if that was all there was to friendship. Was she destined for such fickle, casual relationships? Or was she inept in making real friends and _connecting_ with other people? Her shoulders dropped, a heavy sigh ripping away from her throat. She wanted more for herself. She wanted friends she could rely on, laugh with, talk to about private matters, and place her trust in, because a part of her thrived on connecting with other people and forming deep, meaningful bonds.

Her mother always said, with a knowing glimmer in her eyes, that Percy had too much love to give.

Lost in her thoughts, Percy didn't notice the familiar figure she bumped into as she rounded a corner. She lifted her head, ready to apologize, but stopped when she recognized the person. A snort escaped her, turning into a low chuckle. "Geez, we really have to stop doing this."

"Percy!" Grover stared at her with wide, brown eyes. "What are you doing here?"

She gestured to her uniform, still grinning in amusement. "On my way home from cheerleading practice. What about you?"

"I was at the game store." He showed her the video games he carried under his arm.

"Nice," she said, biting the inside of her cheek, not knowing what else to say. Grover didn't seem to better of as well. He scratched the back of his head, his eyes darting around the empty street. Percy fumbled with the strap of her sports bag. She really wanted him as a friend and make him open up, but he was so strange, which wasn't bad, just slightly difficult for her to figure him out. The next thing she said wasn't something she had planned to do, but in retrospect, she was glad she did. "So, do you wanna grab something to eat?"

Grover blinked at her. "To eat?"

"Yeah." Percy cleared her throat. "I, eh, I know an awesome diner just a few blocks away from here."

"Oh, okay … sure."

He still looked a little uncertain as if he couldn't believe she had actually invited him. Percy's face lightened up at his response. "Great! Just let me text my mom to tell her I'm coming home a bit later."

Grover's eyes widened when she pulled out a cell phone. He had to suppress the urge to slap it away from her hands, because monsters had to be attracted to it like moths to a flame. But it was beyond debate that Percy had been using this phone for a while now, and she was still alive and well, which meant that few to absolutely no monsters had picked up on the signal. He dwelled on that fact for a little longer, saving it to the back of his head to inform Chiron about it later.

The diner Percy had mentioned was a small premise not very far away. When they entered, a small bell above the door signaled their arrival, and the smell of spices and grilling meat wavered through the air. It was cozy inside, with booths nestled against the smudged windows that allowed a view of the empty street outside. A long counter with stools spaced along it stood on the other side. The lighting was dim, the bulbs slightly flickering, obviously in a very urgent need for a repair. It wasn't very crowded, too. A young couple occupied one of the rear booths, and a trucker wearing a grease-stained ball cape and a plaid shirt sat at the counter.

Grover didn't expect that place.

He had thought Percy preferred to eat in slightly fancier diners.

As they slid into a booth, she said, "You know what I just now noticed? I know _nothing_ about you. Tell me something about yourself."

Grover scratched the back of his neck. It was something he usually avoided, questions about himself. He could not very well tell her that he was a Satyr, who lived at a place called Camp Half-Blood, could he? At least, not yet. "Oh, I don't know. There's not much to tell."

"There _must_ be something," Percy insisted. "Where are you from?"

He couldn't answer, though. A young waitress with pink hair approached them, chewing gum, her expression bored. "What can I get you two?"

"Enchiladas, please," Grover said after a quick scan of the menu. "And a glass of apple juice."

"I'll take a cheeseburger and a coke," Percy ordered, which surprised Grover. The waitress nodded, scribbling it down on her notepad, and left for the kitchen.

Grover couldn't help himself. "Not a salad?"

He wished to take his words back as soon as they escaped him. He hadn't meant to come across as rude. Percy glanced at him weirdly before shrugging. "Nah, I want something greasy."

"I'm sorry," he apologized ruefully. "I didn't mean to … I shouldn't have ... "

Percy waved it off. "It's fine. Anyways, you still haven't answered my question."

Grover sighed, knowing he wouldn't escape her interrogation. "Long Island."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I still live there actually."

Percy looked awfully interested. "Why did you change schools then?"

"The, eh, circumstances weren't great," Grover fibbed, avoiding her eyes. "What about you? What's life like for a cheerleader captain?"

Percy smiled, tight-lipped. "Stressy," she admitted. "I have about ten girls I need to drill and prepare for the upcoming games. Some of them have other things on their minds at the moment, though."

Just then, the waitress arrived with their food. They thanked her, and an awkward silence fell over them as they quietly devoured their food. It was only after a few minutes that Grover gathered his courage to ask her the question, which had been lingering on the forefront of his mind since she'd placed her order. "Whouldn't the girls be horrified to see this?" He gestured to her cheeseburger.

A frown passed over Percy's face. "I dunno," she said, inspecting her food as if seeing it for the first time. "It's possible. But it's not like I'm strict about what they're eating or anything. The previous captain was; she created an entire diet chart for us. Not like any of us had actually stuck to it." She rolled her eyes at the memory before hurrying to add, "But I'm not like that. The girls can decide for themselves."

Grover nodded slowly, coming to understand one of the puzzle pieces that was Percy. There was the one trait that connected all demigods to each other - the desire to prove themselves. Both the mix of an absent parent and her own ambition to be a part of something, Percy had been trying to prove not only to other people but also to herself that she wasn't a failure. The realization saddened Grover. Girls like her went out all the way to reach the top, but when they fell … they fell hard.

"Why didn't you eat something greasy at school, then?" Grover asked, and she smiled mildly to herself, a look of serenity passing over her features. He was mesmerized by the way the dim light saturated her face, illuminating the low highlights of chestnut and burgundy in her black hair, making it look like tendrils of dark chocolate brushed her cheeks.

"Well, I _do_ have a certain reputation to uphold."

He snorted. "Your life _does_ sound stressy."

Thankfully, she laughed at that.

 **(.D::C.)**

"I'm home," Percy announced loudly, closing the door behind her. She tossed her keys onto the low dresser and kicked off her sneakers, her bag landing on the floor with a distinctive thump. Her feet carried her to the living room's threshold, where she could see a light burning from. Her mother sat at the desk, her laptop in front of her, the monitor bright against the dimness of the room.

Percy cleared her throat to make her presence known. Her mother lifted her gaze to look at her, a smile tugging at her lips. "Hello, honey. How was practice?"

"Exhausting. My feet are killing me," Percy sighed with a grimace, flopping down on the couch. She tucked her legs up to massage her aching feet as her eyes drifted around the living room. The furniture was modern, in pristine white colors with lots of glass cabinets, where her mother kept her best china. Pictures of herself and her mom stood on the mantel of the fireplace, showing her throughout the years. The room was warm, with creamy white walls and a fluffy carpet in front of the couch. It always managed to calm Percy, because it was _home_.

Sally looked at her sympathetically, taking off her reading glasses to rub her eyes. She was tired. Percy could see it in the lines of her face. "If you're hungry, there's some soup left in the fridge."

"Nah, I already ate," Percy responded. "Didn't you receive my text?"

"I did." Her mother's expression turned curious. "Who's that friend you mentioned?"

"The new guy at school."

"The new guy?" Sally's eyes twinkled with mischief. "And you're already going to dinner with him?"

Percy rolled her eyes. "I'm just trying to help him out. I think he's having a rough start."

Sally's mischievous smile turned gentle, her eyes lit with an inner glow, which was always present, never dying out. She was so proud that her daughter was growing up to be this beautiful, strong woman that helped those in need. She remembered her being a little girl with bright eyes and a curiosity for the world and the people, and she could still see this girl, but now there was also confidence, ambition, and a core of steel. Sally hoped for her daughter to always be this way. She couldn't even bear the thought of that spirit and temper breaking.

Most of all, she hoped her daughter's heritage and ancestry wouldn't catch up with her.

"What are you writing?" Percy asked, eyeing the laptop with great interest.

Sally turned away quickly, snapping out of her thoughts. "Nothing."

"Can I read?"

"No."

"Why not?" Percy grinned cheekily. "Is it something filthy?"

Her mother couldn't stop the snort from escaping, her lips twitching with the hint of a smile. "Get out, you brat."

Percy laughed, standing from the couch, stretching her arms above her head. "All right, all right." Just as she was about to leave the living room and head upstairs, she turned back to her mother. "Good night, mom. I love you."

"Love you too, honey. Sweet dreams."

 **(.D::C.)**

The next day, Chiron rolled into the class in his wheelchair with tired eyes. He hadn't had a good sleep. His mind had been preoccupied with the mysterious demigod they had found, and he couldn't help but wonder if he would make her acquaintance today. The only things he had found out about her were that she was quite popular (like Grover had told him) and her grades were mediocre at best. With his reading spectacles sitting low on his nose, he let his gaze drift across the students, who had fallen silent upon his entrance, curious to see what their new teacher was like.

"Good morning." Chiron's voice resounded calmly. "My name is Mr. Brunner, and I am your new Latin teacher."

"Morning," the class mumbled back.

Chiron smiled to himself and picked up a paper from his desk. "I will quickly go through the class list to see if anyone is missing. Please raise your hand when your name is called." He started at the very top of the list. "Jim Adkins?"

"Here."

"Allison Meadowes."

"Here."

The list went on further, and when Chiron reached the _Js_ , he faltered. There it was. There was the name Grover had told him the day before. "Perseia Jackson," he said, clearing his throat and looking up to see exactly who would speak up.

"Here."

The voice was female and soft, dancing across the room like the song of a hummingbird, and it came from the back seats. The girl stared at him with big eyes, the color a rich, piercing green, bright like a Mediterranean sea, but dark like an ocean with a hurricane brewing in the middle. Her face was painfully beautiful. It looked like it had been crafted by the gods themselves. Judging by her looks alone, Chiron's first thought was that her divine parent must be Aphrodite. Perhaps even Eros. There was something in her eyes, however, some sort of energy that made him stop and consider his theory.

"Very well," Chiron said, tearing his gaze away from her. "Now please open your books. I want you to do some reading exercises before we move on to more exciting things."

The class went over quicker than he thought it would. When the ball rang, the students gathered their stuff and started for the door, chatting and laughing. Before she could leave with the others, Chiron called her name, "Miss Jackson?"

She looked up, surprised, falling back to let the students leave. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and holding her books close to her chest, she approached his desk. "Yes, Mr. Brunner?"

"Would you be so kind as to draw the seating arrangement of the class? It would help me greatly to remember the names."

She looked puzzled, probably wondering why he would give her, of all other people, this task. "Yes, of course. Do you need it now or … ?" She trailed off, uncertain.

Chiron gave her a kind smile. "You're free to do it whenever you want. I'd like to have it on my desk by tomorrow, though."

"Understood," Percy responded, a smile of her own forming on her face. He studied her intently, trying to figure out who she could be descended from. His expression seemed to confuse her, because she furrowed her brow, giving him a quizzical look. "Is there something else, sir?"

"No, no." Chiron shook his head. "You can go now."

After she had left the room, he remained in his seat, engulfed by silence. Dread spread across the room, coming from him like radioactive rays. Chiron couldn't say for sure who her godly parent was, but he was certain that, given some time, he would find the answer, because sometimes a half-blood wasn't anything like their mortal parent but completely like their immortal one.

He hoped she would survive the experience.

 **(.D::C.)**

Justin's lips were soft.

They were soft, gentle, and considerate as they moved along with Percy's. She couldn't help but think how very romantic this was; standing in the shadow of huge trees with her boyfriend, her arms around his neck, his hands on her hips. It made her smile against his lips. The pair enjoyed their free period behind the school building, near the gym, where usually no students came to hang out unless they had P.E. The spot was hidden from the sight of others, and Percy thought it was a lovely place. Even lovelier was her boyfriend.

She still couldn't believe they were a couple now, given the fact that he was the most popular guy around the school. He was always so gentle with her, careful to touch her in places she might not be comfortable with, his hands treating her like she was a precious china doll that would break if he grabbed her too hard. _It's rather nice,_ Percy thought, the sensation of butterflies tingling in her stomach.

Three little words, however, shattered all her blissfull thoughts.

"I love you," Justin whispered as they slowly broke apart, and she froze. At first, she believed she had misheard him, but the look in his eyes didn't lie. He loved her. Justin _loved_ her. She swallowed, fighting against the quickly growing panic inside her. Love was big. Love was epic. Percy certainly liked him. She liked the way he kissed her, hugged her, and talked to her. She liked that he knew just the right words to say, like the hero of a medieval poem. She liked that he wasn't noisy about her personal life.

But …

She didn't love him.

"I -" Percy started, her fingers fumbling with the collar of his shirt. "I can't say that back, Justin." She glanced into his eyes fleetingly. "I'm sorry."

Justin's shoulders dropped, his hands falling away from her hips. "It's okay."

"No, it's -" Percy exhaled, frustrated, uncertain how she should phrase her words. God, the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him. "You just really surprised me. You know how I am. I can't say it back until I fully, completely, absolutely mean it." She touched his cheek gently to make him look at her. "I like you, Justin. I like you a lot. Just … give me some time, yeah?"

He nodded, avoiding her eyes. "All right."

"I _really_ am sorry."

This time, Justin looked at her. "Hey, it's okay." He took her hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss her knuckles. "I get it, really. I just wanted you to know how I feel."

Percy didn't want to doubt him, but there was a little voice inside her head whispering that no person could be this understanding when receiving a rejection. "You're not angry?" she asked warily, needing to make sure.

"With you? Never." He smiled at her reassuringly. "I understand that you can't make that kind of commitment yet."

She nodded slowly, a hesitant smile forming on her face. "Thank you," she replied, her voice sincere.

"Now, I believe it's time to go inside." Justin glanced at his watch. "Don't want the others to send a search party on our asses."

"Right."

Percy took his outstretched hand, following him inside. He had his back to her, which made it difficult for her to see his expression, but his posture seemed at ease, his shoulders relaxed. Percy added that to the long list of his good traits: he didn't hold a grudge. She willed herself to relax as well, recalling his words. He had said it was okay. He was willing to wait. Anyways, he had the moral advantage of her, because she had ought to say ' _I love you, too'_. But Percy had never been someone to lie about her feelings.

And who knows … maybe, if given some time, she could to love him, too.

 **(.D::C.)**

"He told me he loved me."

Grover was currently sitting in the library, doing his homework, but he looked up from it to see Percy flopping down on the chair before him. She looked frustrated as she laid her arms on the table, resting her chin on them. Her hair was up in a messy knot, and she had thrown a plaid shirt over a flimsy, stark red top, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows.

"What?"

"He told me he loved me," Percy repeated.

Grover furrowed his brow. "Who did?"

"Justin."

 _Oh._ "Oh. Well, that's good, isn't it?" One look at her face made him regret his words. "That's not good."

"I couldn't say it back," Percy whined. "I mean, we've been together for barely two months. Our relationship is based on a fling we had going on over the summer." She looked at him with helpless eyes. "It was right of me to not say it back, right?"

"Of course," Grover hurried to answer, closing his books. "You wouldn't want to lie about something like that, would you?" She nodded, agreeing with him. "Why are you telling me this, though?"

Percy gave him a look as if to say he should know the answer to that question. "Well, you're a guy. Who better to talk to about boy problems? The girl's wouldn't understand. They think Justin's some sort of god." Well, that wasn't the case, but he couldn't tell her that. He had seen real gods, and that boyfriend of hers wasn't one of them, not by a long shot. "And we're friends now, aren't we?"

Were they, though? Grover was a little surprised to hear her referring to him as a friend. Certainly, he had noticed her efforts in befriending him, but he couldn't help being cautious. She hang around with the popular crowd, and he didn't know what consequences their friendship could possibly have. He was just the Satyr, his main task was finding her and bringing her safely to the camp. Still, a warm settled in the center of his chest at hearing her refer to him as a friend with such vigor.

"You don't seem too upset," Grover observed.

Percy pursed her lips. "Why would I be?"

"I just … I thought he reacted badly."

"No, he didn't. At all. He was surprisingly chill with it. I told him I needed time, and that's it. We didn't break up or anything."

Grover's eyebrows shot up. He had no idea if Percy knew about her boyfriend's douchiness, but even if she did not, he wasn't exactly sure the guy would take a rejection well. He might give off a charming boy-next-door vibe, which pulled girls in like bees to a honey jar, but he was still a jock. Grover doubted he had the maturity to handle a girl's rejection after he declared his love for her.

"I'm glad," Grover said, deciding to keep his worries to himself. "How did you find me anyway?"

Percy shrugged, glancing around the quiet library as if wondring how she had ended up in here. Grover guessed it wasn't her favorite place to visit. "I asked around."

"You're pretty popular around here, aren't you?"

"I suppose you could call it that."

Her tone suggested that she couldn't care less about her popularity.

 **(.D::C.)**

It was a few days later that Percy started noticing the whispers. On the 15th of September, she walked through the hallway of her school, aware of the stares directed at her, but clueless about what the heck happened. She decided that enough was enough after her double period of math ended. Catching Allison inside the girls' restroom, she confronted her friend about it.

"Okay, out with it," Percy said grimly, folding her arms across her chest. She leaned her hip against the sink, which was right next to the one Allison preoccupied. "What happened?"

Allison froze midway in applying her mascara. She turned away from the mirror, pretending to rummage through her bag. "I don't know what -"

"Oh, cut the bullshit, Allison," Percy interrupted, narrowing her eyes. "There have been whispers behind my back the whole day long. What's it about? Does my makeup look funny today? Did I forget to brush my hair?"

Her friend hesitated. "You really don't know?" When Percy shook her head in exasperation, Allison whispered, "It's about you and Justin. They say you cheated on him with … well, with Underwood."

 _Cheated?_ On Justin? With _Grover_?

Percy blinked once, twice. It took her a while to process the information, and when she did, she laughed out loud. She pressed the back of her hand against her lips, trying to hold in the giggles, while Allison stood there, watching her with something akin to disbelief. It took her a few minutes to calm herself. Then, she noticed her friend's silence and the laughter died straight on her face. Her eyes widened, the amusement ebbing away to make place for shock.

"You really are serious?" Allison nodded, avoiding her eyes. A horrorfying suspicion rose inside Percy, her heart practically pounding inside her ears. "You don't believe that crap, do you?"

"No … no, of course not." But Allison's voice sounded meek.

Percy exhaled loudly, running a hand through her hair. She would resolve this issues with Allison later. Now, she needed to know who had put such a ridiculous rumor into the world. "Who started this rumor?"

"Actually, no one did." Allison turned away, her voice barely a whisper. "Justin himself said it."

 **(.D::C.)**

" _Justin_!"

Percy stormed into the boys' locker room like a tornado, eyes blazing, her hands curled into fists. She didn't even take notice of the half-naked guys, who protested loudly upon her entrance. She focused solely on her boyfriend. He looked up, startled, nearly rearing back at seeing her come at him with such unbridled fury.

"Percy, you can't be in here!"

"Yeah, I don't care," she barked, ignoring the onlookers. She was so angry, so unbelievingly pissed off that she was sure steam came out from her ears. It was like a roaring wave had risen inside her, wanting to drown all her surroundings in her wrath. Her hands trembled as she continued. "What the fuck has gotten into you? Why would you say such a thing?"

Justin knew exactly what she was talking about. He overcame his uncertainty and straightened his posture. "Well, it's true, isn't it?"

Percy was speechless. She stared at him as embarrassment, anger, and disappointment rolled through her veins, spreading throughout her body. The realization struck her hard and sudden. She couldn't believe the mistake she had made. She couldn't believe her instincts had failed her so much that she hadn't seen the person her boyfriend truly was. Her looked at her with a shaky confidence, and all his masks fell away at once, leaving him open and ugly in front of her.

"I get it," she murmured, pressing her lips into a thin line. "You couldn't handle my rejection of your love declaration, so you try to make yourself feel better about it by spewing _lies_ about me and Grover."

She knew she hit the bull's eye when he flinched. "You do spend a considerable amount of time with him," Justin replied hastily, trying to right himself in front of the others.

Percy laughed incredulously. "Are you actually serious? Do you even hear what you're saying right now? Grover and I are nothing but _friends._ Even the idea of him and I is utterly ridiculous."

"I'm not taking back what I said. Underwood's not even the only reason for it."

"Yeah?" Percy took a step closer to him, noticing with satisfaction that he eyed her warily. They _had_ spend two months together, no matter how much of an asshole he turned out to be, and he knew her unpredictability. "Which one is it then? Is it because I refused to sleep with you or because I didn't say ' _I love you, too'_?"

"I don't need to justify myself in front of you," he responded, raising his head high. "You're not my girlfriend anymore."

Of course she wasn't. She wouldn't even spare him a glance after this was done. Still, his words hit her. She _did_ speak the truth a few days ago. She liked him. Or, _had_ liked him. She swallowed the bitter feeling inside her mouth, narrowing her eyes. "God, you're pathetic, Walker," she snarled, her eyes spitting green fire. "I'm done with you."

With those words, she turned around sharply, glaring at the male onlookers as she walked out with as much dignity as she could find in herself.

 **(.D::C.)**

A bit later, Grover found her sitting on the stands of the sports field all by herself. She had tucked her legs up against her torso, her chin resting on her knees. A warm breeze played with her hair, sending some strands into her face, but she didn't seem to notice. She quickly brushed her hands over her cheeks when Grover sat beside her, and his heart sank upon realizing that she had been crying.

"I heard what happened," he murmured.

Percy released a deep breath. "You must hate me now."

"Why would I?" Grover asked, furrowing his brow.

"Your reputation got ruined because of me."

He shrugged. "It wasn't much of a reputation to begin with."

She didn't respond, and Grover didn't know what else to say. Gods, he was bad at this. He was awful at comforting people, girls especially. But he was willing to try. "It's not your fault," he said. "Blame your boyfriend."

"Ex-boyfriend," Percy corrected.

Grover stared at the ground beneath his feet. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

Silence fell over them. Grover tried to think of something witty or funny to say, but that had never been his strength, so he resolved to rummaging through his bag until, finally, he pulled out what he had been looking for. "Do you want an apple?" he asked, offering her the fruit a bit helplessly.

 _Score,_ he thought when her lips twitched upward. "You're really awful at comforting girls, aren't you?"

"Well, you _are_ laughing, no?"

He felt a spark of pride when, this time, she released a laugh. "Fair enough."

Percy took the apple, though. As she stared at it absent-mindedly, Grover thought that, of all other people at school, she had deserved what happened the least. Justin Walker was a douchebag, he'd known that pretty much from the start, but he hadn't expected the other students to believe the rumor. Percy had been the only one to reach out and help him, and this was the consequence. He didn't care what was said about him, he was angry on her behalf.

"What'll happen now?" he asked, glancing at her.

She shrugged, her red-rimmed eyes staring at the open field before them. "I don't know. Half of the student population hates me, because I _cheated_ on their football god. The other half … no idea." She looked at him with a determined expression. "Don't worry, though, I won't let you get dragged into this mess any further. He should have never taken out the issues he had with me on you."

"I don't think it's possible to protect me from it," Grover admitted, voicing his doubts.

"I'll think of something." Percy smiled at him weakly. "No one's as good at destroying someone's life and status as I am."

"Really?" Grover gave her a slight nudge, wanting to cheer her up. "But you're so tiny."

She narrowed her eyes and pointed a finger at him in a playfully threatening manner. "Don't underestimate me, Underwood. I'm fierce."

And that, he believed right away.

* * *

 **And we're out.**


	3. The Shape Of Things to Come

**A/N:** Yes, here it is at last! A new chapter. Phew, it'sa lengthy one again, but to tell you the truth, all chapters of this story are going to have 10.000+ words. It's just how I roll, lol.

Also, I think you'll be happy to know that this whole story is finally mapped out and outlined chapter by chapter. It's going to be an epic one. With my outlines, this is going to have about 200 (!) chapters, which is insane, I know, but there's a lot of things waiting to be told. So buckle up, kids, it's going to be one hell of a ride.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. Personally, I had a lot of fun writing it.

And again, thank you guys for your comments and favs! It's a pleasure receiving your reviews, and I appreciate each and every one of you so much! Thank you, truly. You make writing this story so exciting and fun for me.

* * *

 **DESTINY CALLING**

 **3.** THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME

 **S** ally Jackson regretted many things.

In her thirty-seven years of life, she had done the occasional mistake every now and then, and if given the chance, she _would_ go back in time to do better. As much as she tried to be a decent person, a _good_ human being, there were times when she slipped and that was okay, because in the end of it all, she was only human. And being human meant doing stupid mistakes over and over again until the lesson wasn't only learned but it also stuck.

Her daughter, however, was something she would never, _ever_ regret.

The joys of motherhood hadn't always been … well, _joys,_ but all the tears, doubts, and break-downs were worth it. The endless nights when her infant daughter would cry for hours and she would break down sobbing because she didn't know _how_ to make it stop were worth it. The torturous cycle of wondering whether or not she was good mother was worth it. Sally realized it every time a smile lit up her daughter's face, every time she would laugh in happiness and hug her and return her love.

 _The strongest women out there,_ she thought one day, _are mothers._

It was also that day Sally realized that, ultimately, her daughter didn't need her anymore. Not in the way she did only a few years ago. Percy was sixteen now, and wasn't that just astonishing? Every time Sally closed her eyes she still saw the little girl, all pastel dresses, pigtails, and toothless smiles. The little girl who came home from playing outside with sand in her hair, flushed cheeks, and adorable tales of how she'd caught a frog. On some particularly good days, even a butterfly. Then she would open her eyes and the little girl in her mind vanished to make place for the sixteen-year-old teenager who smiled with just a little more sass now, who, instead of trying to catch animals, went out to meet boys and drink liquor in secret. A girl just a few years away from reaching womanhood. It didn't only frighten Sally, it also made her wonder what would become of her now.

She had dedicated her life to being a mother. Perhaps it was time to reignite herself as a woman again, to reach out for the world and live a little for herself again. Perhaps her daughter needed her now in different ways. Perhaps Percy would now need her advice and support more than her protection and forever love.

No matter what path her life would take her on, Sally would be prepared for it, because she knew that being a mother didn't mean losing herself as a woman. Being a mother strengthened that position. Wasn't this the ultimate essence of womanhood? To be able to carry a babe and give birth, to grant life and bring a breathing, living human being into the world? When Sally pondered on it, she liked to remember words her own mother had told her once upon a time: " _Being a parent means that now it's your mission to teach a girl how to be a woman and a boy how to be a man._ "

It was kind of beautiful, until it wasn't.

Until a call made Sally remember that a part of her daughter was something entirely different, something larger than life.

"Am I speaking to Sally Jackson?" A grave, male voice asked after she answered the phone.

"Yes," she said, puzzled. "I'm sorry, who is this?"

There was silence for a minute or so, and Sally was few seconds away from hanging up when the man spoke again. "My name is Chiron. I'm working at a place called Camp Half-Blood, which you may or may not have heard of," he said, and Sally's heart leapt to her throat. Her hands turned clammy. "I'm calling because of your daughter. We have someone watching over her at her school."

Sally Jackson's world started to crumble.

* * *

Two days after that phone call, Grover cursed his fake human legs as he limped through the school hallways, which were, luckily, devoid of any students right now.

He had spend the last half an hour or so searching for Percy, who hadn't shown up to neither their Chemistry class nor to Geography. Of course, he had tried asking around, but these days, it was hard to ask _anyone_ anything about Percy. The girl who had once been the center of the entire school was now an outsider, and that was all because of him. Grover couldn't keep his guilt at bay. Because he couldn't stand up for himself, Percy had become somewhat of a public enemy of the school. The incident with Justin Walker and the rumor he had brought in the world was almost forgotten by now, but that didn't matter. Percy continued to hang with him, and that was enough for the other kids to shun her.

At last, Grover found her.

She sat sprawled out on the front steps of the school, frantically scribbling on her notepad. When she noticed him approaching, she stopped and looked him up and down with raised eyebrows. "Jeez," she said. "What've you been running from?"

Grover half-snorted, half-panted. "Not running," he wheezed with a glare at her, which looked about as scary as a kitten hissing for the first time. "I was looking for you, actually."

"Oh." Percy looked down at her notepad with a frown. "Why?"

" _Why?_ " Grover repeated incredulously. "You skipped both Chemistry and Geography. Excuse me for being worried that you might have been abducted by some maniac this morning!"

Percy snorted with humor and put her notepad aside, scooting over to make place for Grover, which he gladly took. "You're adorable when you're angry, G-man," she chuckled, nudging him slightly with her elbow.

"Funny," he remarked with a half-hearted roll of his eyes. "What've you been doing here?"

"Homework. I forgot to finish the English assignment Mr. Richards gave us yesterday," Percy said, a grumble evident in her voice.

She pulled her woolen cardigan closer around her torso, and the movement made him take a look at her. She wore a lilac blouse underneath, the soft color accentuating her peaches and cream complexion. Her khaki shorts were held at her hips by a brown leather belt, and nothing in her appearance indicated that she was no longer the popular girl she had been only a few weeks ago. With her hair braided loosely over her shoulder and a hint of rose dusted along her cheekbones, she looked like the perfect example of a well-liked, well-received teenage girl, who had no worries about anything.

"You okay?" Grover asked anyway, because appearances were misleading more often than not.

Percy glanced at him sideways. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, it's just … the whole business with – with … you know what," he muttered, stumbling awkwardly over his words.

Surprisingly, Percy remained silent.

She looked away from him towards the quiet parking lot stretching out before them. The heat from two weeks ago had almost completely vanished now, leaving a pleasant chill in the air and the occasional showers of rain. The sky above their heads was an endless stretch of greyness and a few darkish clouds, which thankfully passed the area without unloading onto the streets. A mix of red-brownish and golden leaves twirled across the pavement, and the smell of wet earth and chestnuts hung in the air, an indication of the approaching autumn.

"Nah," Percy said finally. "It'll blow over in a few months. No one will even think about us then."

Grover hoped she was right.

"We've gotta go back inside," he reminded her. "Latin's about to start in a few minutes."

She grimaced and turned on her spot to look at him pleadingly. "Can't we skip? _Please_?"

"Nope," Grover said with a laugh as he stood, stretching out a hand for her. She took it, letting him pull her to her feet, a silent huff on her lips.

Together, they walked back inside the school towards their Latin class, where already a group of students stood in front, waiting for Mr. Brunner. He came, thankfully, right on time, and as the other kids swarmed in, Percy and Grover chose the back seats to sit in, as far away from the front as possibly.

As Mr. Brunner started his class, Percy settled on staring out of the windows, tuning out her teacher's words. It was only when he mentioned something about a test that she startled and tore her gaze away from the rain, which had begun drumming against the pavement outside. She looked around the room, noticing how the others appeared to be on edge while Mr. Brunner rummaged through his briefcase.

Percy nudged Grover with her elbow, whispering, "What did Mr. Brunner just say?"

"He's giving us back our tests," he answered in an equally low tone. "You know, the ones from last week."

 _Of course._

How could she have forgotten?

Licking her lips nervously, Percy shifted on her chair, lacing her fingers together to keep herself calm. She hoped she had done well on the test, even though she had been overwhelmed with other things at the time they wrote it, which she, frankly, still was. Nevertheless, a good mark (for her standards) would considerably lift her mood from the freezing point it had been in during the past few weeks.

"Don't worry," Grover mumbled through the corner of his mouth, noticing her anxiety. "I'm sure you did good."

Percy smiled in thanks and tensed unconsciously when Mr. Brunner reached their table. He handed Grover his test (a _C_ ), giving him a nod and moving on to Percy. He stilled, hesitating as he passed her the paper. "Maybe you will do better next time, Miss Jackson," he said before retreating.

She swallowed and glanced down.

A big, red _F_ glared back at her.

"Don't let it bother you," Grover tried to comfort her, squeezing her shoulder. "It's only the first test."

"No, it's fine." Percy placed the test between the pages of her book, her hands slightly shaking. "I had a feeling that I would flunk it. It's no surprise, really."

Grover tried to say something, but a look from Mr. Brunner shut him up. He send a worried glance at Percy and kept passing notes with her during the class in hopes to district her at least a little. When the bell announced the end of the period, the class filtered out quickly enough for Percy to linger a bit behind as she packed her books away into her bag.

"If you want to, we could skip the rest and head to the city," Grover whispered as they started for the door, quickly looking at Mr. Brunner to make sure he wouldn't hear his suggestion.

Percy smiled at that, shaking her head. "Nah, it's all good. We -"

She didn't get the chance to finish her sentence.

"Miss Jackson," Mr. Brunner said as they were about to leave the room. "Can I have a minute please?"

Percy furrowed her brow, a heavy feeling settling in her stomach. "Of course," she answered. Turning back to Grover, she said, "You go ahead. We'll meet up later."

He hesitated, sending a confused look at their teacher. When Percy smiled at him in reassurance, he nodded slowly and left the room. Percy approached her teacher, who sat behind the desk with a pile of papers in front of him, an ink pen between the fingers of his left hand.

"Grab a chair and sit down, Miss Jackson," Mr. Brunner told her, and she hesitated before doing what he said.

"Whatever it is, sir," she started, "I didn't do it."

He chuckled softly. "There's no need to worry. I did not ask you to stay behind to give you a lecture or a punishment." Percy remained silent, blinking in confusion, which made him grow serious. "Miss Jackson, I noticed that you have been having some troubles with the other students."

Percy's face closed off in an instant.

"It's nothing, sir," she said quickly, her eyes focusing on something behind his desk. "Just some conflicting opinions."

But Mr. Brunner had those wise, kind eyes that somehow made it impossible for her to tell him a good lie. "It is not nothing when your accomplishments suffer because of it, Miss Jackson." His voice was warm and devoid of any negative emotion. "I talked to the school advisor. He informed me of your learning disabilities."

Percy's eyes snapped to him, and she shifted on her chair in discomfort.

Her teacher was closing in on a subject, which frequently made her lose patience. Talking about either her dyslexia _or_ her ADHD was something she didn't _particularly_ like, and she was tired of teachers who tried to guide her in that matter without really knowing what it was about. Scoring less than the other students in tests and exams was a crappy feeling, and even being the popular, well-liked girl hadn't helped the slightest in academics. It certainly wasn't healthy thinking, but knowing that she couldn't write down an entire essay without screwing up the first paragraph made her feel … less than among kids, who looked forward to going to Harvard or Yale after graduation.

"I'm dealing with it as best as I can," Percy said a little too snappy than she intended to.

Mr. Brunner smiled kindly. "And I don't doubt that. All I am saying is that you don't let yourself be distracted by those … conflicting opinions. If you need help, you're always welcome to come to me, Miss Jackson. You are a smart girl. I sense lot of potential in you, and it would be a shame if you don't pursue it."

Percy blinked, surprised by his words. A teacher had never before reached out to her this way. Usually, they considered her a lost cause after seeing her fuck her tests up. "Thank you," she murmured, the fight leaving her body as she realized that she was not getting backed into a corner here. "I'm sorry for … uhm, for failing the test."

"There's no need to be. We all make mistakes."

She nodded, lowering her gaze to her hands. Her nails were painted pink, and three dainty rings sat on her fingers; two on her left hand, one on her right. "Can I go now, sir?"

"Yes, that would be all," Mr. Brunner said with a sigh, leaning back in his chair. "Enjoy your break."

Percy nodded once more and set the chair back before leaving. In the hallway, she lingered a little, hesitant to approach the cafeteria which would be crammed with students by now. The test inside her bag was paper that was as light as a feather, but it suddenly seemed to weigh a ton. She had tried so hard to do well, to show her mom something she could be proud of, but the events of the past few weeks had taken a larger toll on her than she'd thought they would.

Regardless of what Percy had told Grover about being fine, it would be a lie to say that it didn't effect her at all. She was still only human.

* * *

Percy's stomach twisted in a negative feeling when she approached the cafeteria, and her gut normally didn't lie. That's how she knew something was wrong. Loud noises came from inside, and when she placed her palms against the double swinging doors and pushed them open, she wished she had arrived earlier. Her blood froze inside her veins, and a strange sensation roared through her ears, almost like a furious wave.

The first thing she saw was Grover standing in a circle of students. The second thing her eyes focused on was the two guys, Evan McLeod and another football jock, who threw a navy blue backpack around, which she knew was Grover's. Justin watched the whole thing with the rest of the football team, snickering gleefully. Allison and a few of her girlfriends stood at the front, laughing at Grover's desperate attempts to snatch his backpack back.

"Hey!" Percy yelled, clenching her hands into fists as she saw Grover's bruised cheek. The laughter silenced, and the kids turned around to look at her, some of them parting the way to let her go through to the front, where the whole spectacle took place. "What the fuck is this?"

Percy stood next to Grover's side, laying a protective hand on his shoulder. Thankfully, he wasn't much taller than her. She glared at the round of students before settling her harsh gaze on the main offenders.

"Look, it's your girlfriend, Underwood," Evan sniggered. "Coming to rescue you as always."

Gritting her teeth, Percy stepped slightly forward as if to protect her friend from any other harm. "Give him his backpack, McLeod," she snarled.

It went eerily silent in the cafeteria, the other kids not daring to make a move, because all of them wanted to see how this would go down. Percy ignored it, barely keeping herself from shaking with fury. She clenched her fists further, her nails digging into the flesh of her palms.

"I don't think so, Jackson," Evan responded with a smirk. "Don't be such a buzzkill."

Percy narrowed her eyes and took a step closer to the boy, shaking off Grover's hand when he tried to keep her away. "I said," she repeated, ice in her voice, " _Give. It. Back. Asshole_."

"Buh-huh, you no longer have a say in this school, Percy," Allison spoke up, and Percy's gaze whipped to her, bright green eyes piercing the girl. There was something on the tip of her tongue, perhaps some insult or some witty comeback that Percy could throw in her face, but she exhaled loudly and turned away from her to deal with Evan. She didn't think she could handle her former best friend right now.

"Do I have to repeat myself _again,_ McLeod? Give me the bag, or I _swear_ I'll knock the teeth right outta your fucking mouth."

Usually, Percy tried to refrain herself from swearing too much, but there were times like these when she simply didn't care about what she said or how she said it. Her entire body trembled with suppressed anger, and it was so intense that she could feel deep within herself the desire to make them hurt and feel humiliated like Grover did. It was as if something primal roared to be released from inside her, like the tempestuous rolling of an ocean that destroyed everything in its wake.

Evan took notice of the fury radiating off her small form.

"Suit yourself, Jackson," he said, much too casually, throwing her the bag. Thanks to her quick reflexes, Percy caught it on time.

Much gentler, she handed the backpack to Grover before turning to glare at her classmates. "Back off," she said with the threat evident in her voice as she pushed through the crowd, Grover close on her heels. "All of you, back off."

* * *

After a quick trip to the director's to get some ice and excuse their presence from the rest of the classes, Percy and Grover found themselves sitting on the front steps of the school for a second time. The brief dousing of rain had already ebbed away, leaving the pavement wet and muddy. Grover held the cooling pack to his face and watched as Percy paced up and down the asphalt in front of him, swearing beneath her breath. Some of the words he caught her saying had the tips of his ears turning red.

"Percy," he interrupted her. "It's okay. I'm fine now."

She whipped around, and the fire inside her eyes was ferocious. "It is _not_ okay! How dare they … how dare they to _push_ you around! I just … I want them to get punished for it, I want them to learn the hard way that it's _not_ okay to bully people around and … " Her voice cracked as all the pent up anger from the past weeks exploded from within her. Her braid had loosened further, one or two dark strands now curling down the sides of her red face. It gave her a dishevelled look, fitting for her state of mind.

Grover lowered his gaze, wincing as he shifted the cooling pack higher up to his temple. Percy's eyes narrowed at that. "How did you even get this?" She pointed at the swelling on his cheek. "Did they - ?"

"No," he hurried to say. "Someone just tripped me, and I got unlucky and hit my face on a table." She eyed him warily, not believing his words. "Look, I'm honest here, Percy. I'm not lying to protect one of them or anything. I promise."

Her wariness faded away as she heard the sincerity in his voice. "I'm sorry," she whispered, sitting down next to him. "I'm just so, so angry."

"I know," Grover mumbled. "Believe me, I know."

They went silent for a minute or two. Then, Percy suddenly perked up, her eyes shining with a new light. "I know where we could go." She quickly got to her feet. "C'mon, let's get a taxi."

Confused, Grover tagged along, stuffing his ice pack into his backpack.

They ordered a taxi on the main street, which took them to Percy's home. Surprisingly, her home was a small, comely house in the suburbs. It was two-stories high and had a creamy veneer with a brick roof, a neat front lawn, and the hints of a lovely backyard. A shiny, red Volvo was parked at the curb, which was presumably her mother's since he had seen Percy get picked up from school in that car quite a few times.

"Eh, I think I'll just wait outside, Percy," Grover said nervously as they approached the front door.

She looked up from rummaging through her back in search for her keys. "All right," she replied with a half-shrug, blowing a piece of hair away from her face. "I'll be quick."

Finally finding the keys, Percy unlocked the door and stepped inside, leaving the door slightly ajar. Without taking off neither her jacket nor her shoes, she went to search for her mother, who she found working at the kitchen's counter, a chopping board and vegetables before her. Her brunette locks were up in a bun, and she had tied a white-pinkish apron around her torso.

"Hey, Mom," Percy said, which made her look up.

"Oh, hello, sweetheart." Sally frowned in concern, momentarily stopping her chopping. "School called earlier. They said you excused yourself from the rest of your classes?"

"Yeah, about that - there was a little disagreement at school, and Grover got himself injured," Percy fibbed. "But it's nothing bad, just a little swelling on his face. The principal let us go earlier. Anyway, I want to make him feel a little better so can I please borrow your car to show him Darla?"

Sally shifted from one leg to the other. "Grover, huh?" she asked, and was it only Percy's imagination or did her mother's voice just rise about an octave?

"Yes, Grover."

"Well, all right then. But please be -" Before her mom could finish her sentence, Percy rushed out of the kitchen up the stairs to throw some stuff together that she would need. Sally sighed, and while her daughter looked for her things upstairs, she went to make some sandwiches for her and her friend.

Percy came back down after a few minutes. She had changed into leggins, a beige pea coat, and brown leather riding boots. "Oh, yummy," she chirped at seeing the snacks her mother had prepared. "You're the best, mom, seriously."

Sally rolled her eyes. "And don't I know it." She helped Percy pack away the sandwiches into the backpack she'd gotten from upstairs. "You'll probably need to refuel the car on your way home, so take some money with you. And please be careful."

"I will," Percy promised, kissing her mother quickly on the cheek before heading for the door.

"And next time I see you running around the clean floor in your shoes, I'll make you scrub it all by yourself! You hear me?"

"Yeah, yeah!"

The door fell shut, and Sally sighed loudly. She remained still for a little while wondering if it was wise to let her daughter be friends with that Grover. Mr. Chiron, the man who had called her two days ago, had told her the boy was a satyr, responsible for her daughter's safety.

But how safe could her daughter possibly be in a world of gods and monsters?

* * *

After almost an hour drive, Percy pulled to a stop near a, seemingly, deserted farm, which stood on a hilltop overlooking the bordering evergreen woods and a small river. _It's a lovely sight,_ she thought as she climbed out of the car, _like something from a picture book._ She didn't even mind when her boot-clad feet sank into wet, muddy earth. She was much too occupied with the sudden hit of nostalgia as she remembered her childhood summers, which she'd mostly spent on this farm. If she closed her eyes now and concentrated hard enough, she knew she would be able to remember her own laughter and her mother constantly telling her to stop chasing the cat's tail.

"What is this place?" Grover asked in an astonished voice, effectively snapping her out of her nostalgia.

Percy grinned and turned around to face him, raising her arms in a demonstrating gesture. "This, Grover, is the place I basically grew up in."

He blinked, perplexed, opening his mouth to ask another question, but Percy cut him off by grabbing his arm and dragging him towards the door. "Drop that suspicious look, G-man," she chuckled. "I didn't take you here to murder you secretly, I promise."

"That's reassuring," Grover deadpanned.

Percy snorted and banged the old, rusty door knocker three times before stepping back and waiting. It didn't take long for the door to open. An ancient-looking man with matted, grey hair and weary eyes glared down at them, a pipe in his mouth and a crinkled newspaper, which looked like it came from the 40s, in the grasp of his bony, wrinkly fingers. However, his glare vanished as soon as he realized who he had in front of him.

"Perseia!" His whole demeanor lit up, and a shine entered his blue eyes. "What a surprise!"

Normally, Percy cringed whenever someone used her full name. This time, though, she didn't even do as much as blink. Her mouth opened, and she released a joyful laugh, hugging the old man tightly. "Hi, grandpa. Sorry it took me so long to come see you."

Grover tried to do his hardest to keep his jaw from dropping. Frankly, he had excepted anything but that. He had been so occupied with finding out who might be Percy's father since the day he met her, he hadn't even thought of the possibility of her having living relatives from her mother's side of family. When they pulled apart, he saw that the smile they had on their faces was the same, slightly crooked and lined with dry humor. Grover was instantly sure Percy's mother smiled the same way.

"Grandpa, this is Grover Underwood, my friend," Percy introduced him.

The man sized him up with hawk-like eyes, which made Grover shift uncomfortably on his feet, before grunting in what seemed to be a satisfied way. "Walter Jackson," he said, his voice raspy, shaking his hand. "Come on in, children. You're right on time. I have just put the kettle on."

Grover hesitated before crossing the threshold, Percy's smile encouraging him to enter a room, which probably was the dining room. It was small and dusty with the smell of tobacco and herbs lingering in the air and not much light coming through the square windows that were covered with thin, old curtains. A circular wooden table stood in the middle, three rusty chairs surrounding it. It wasn't exactly highly modern or tidy, but it oozed a certain rustical charm that made the room seem cozy and familiar.

"Gramps, when did you clean here the last time?" Percy asked as she sat down at the table, amusement shining in her eyes. She took off her coat and laid it over the back of her chair. Underneath, she wore a dark-brown cotton sweater, and a dainty silver necklace dangled from her neck, the tear-shaped pendant sparkling when the light hit it the right way.

Her grandfather laughed good-heartedly, taking off the kettle from the gas stove when it started to whistle sharply. "Child, my bones are old and weary. I'm in no shape to be cleaning."

Percy helped him pour the steaming water into the mugs she had fetched from the cupboards. "What's with Chad, then? Isn't he around?"

At that, Grover perked his ears up, accepting his tea with a tiny smile.

 _Chad._

That was a new name.

And if he didn't suddenly start to hallucinate, he could've sworn that the natural flush along Percy's cheekbones lintensified at the mention.

"Chad has gone to college," Walter said with a chuckle. "His mother comes around every now and then, and he does as well when he has time."

"I didn't know that." Percy settled into her chair and clasped her mug with both hands. She sighed contentedly upon taking a sip from her tea, which tasted strong and sweet at the same time, just how she liked it. "Anyway, I hope you won't mind me taking Grover to the stables. I want to introduce him to Darla."

"Of course I won't mind. Tell me, how's your mother, child?"

Instead of answering right away, Percy took a sip of her tea and avoided her grandpa's eyes for that little moment. "She's fine," she replied then with a casual shrug. "She's having a reading next weekend. In Denver, which she's so excited about she can't sit still when she talks about it."

Her grandfather nodded, his posture straightening with pride. "Always knew Sally's destined for a great career. Unfortunately, she couldn't realize her dreams of becoming a writer earlier, because she met that blasted father of yours."

"Gramps," Percy said immediately. "Please, not now."

She saw Grover perking his ears up from the corner of her eyes as her grandfather started ranting. "The only good thing that came out of that relationship is you, Perseia," Walter spat, and turned to look at Grover. "Can you picture my heartbreak, boy, when my daughter came to me in tears and said she was pregnant? B _arely_ twenty-one and pregnant! Met some older man, you see, and decided she was in love with him. _In love_ , my ass! He left her the second he realized he had to take on the responsibility of a child! Didn't even have the balls to come see me face to face! I'm telling ya, boy, I've always known that man was a good-for-nothing!"

" _Grandpa!_ "

Percy's sharp exclamation made him stop.

Guiltily, he looked at her, his eyes softening when he saw her pinched look. "I'm sorry, child," he said ruefully. "I shouldn't have brought it up."

She dropped her expression and reached out to pat his hand. "It's fine. Just tone it down a bit next time, yeah?"

Seeing the way Grover stared at them, Percy mouthed a " _Later_ " into his direction and, for the next few minutes, continued telling her grandfather about everything that had transpired in her life in the past weeks. Of course, she let out the troublesome details, not wanting to worry him any further. She hadn't even talked to her mother about it yet, and she didn't know if she actually would.

When the mugs were empty and the stories all told, Percy's grandfather send them outside.

It seemed it had gotten even colder while they were inside, or maybe the contrast between being inside a warm house and getting out into the bleak weather again was too stark, but Percy buttoned her coat up anyway. She was thankful that Grover decided to keep quiet for the moment instead of hammering her with questions she didn't necessarily want to answer right now.

"So, where are we going? And who's Darla?"

"You'll see in a few minutes," Percy said with a mysterious smile and led him to the stables.

It smelled like manure and old hay inside, but she didn't even scrunch up her nose. This was a place that she had made a lot of memories in – including her first kiss with Chad Larkin when she was fifteen, the former stable boy turned college frat boy. He was a bit older than her, which had been an exciting thought for her in the moment it had happened.

Percy turned around with a smile on her face and said, "Ta-dah!"

Grover blinked at the horses in their stables. "Uhh, that's … not what I expected."

"I used to come here every summer as a child," Percy told him as she went over to a stable, where a beautiful, ivory-colored mare stood huffing. "My mother always accompanied me. Half of my summer I spent here, the other half at Montauk. I discovered my love for horseback riding here, and ever since it's been … well, it's been like an outlet for me. And this," Percy ran a hand through the horse's mane, "is Darla. She's mine."

"She's a beauty," Grover said as a smile began forming on his face, which made Percy beam at him. "So you _used_ to come here every summer? I take it you don't spend much time here anymore?"

Percy sighed. "Not as much as I'd like to," she replied. "My mom and Gramps … it's complicated."

Luckily, Grover didn't respond to that. He simply nodded and looked around at the other horses, which made Percy ask, "You wanna take a ride?"

He startled. "Eh, I'd rather not. I _do_ like horses, but they'll probably throw me off."

Percy eyed him curiously but didn't press on it. "You mind if I take her out?" She nodded at Darla. "I think she's probably impatient to go out for a while."

"Not at all," Grover answered. "Gimme those sandwiches your mom made, and I'll be perfectly content to stay here."

"All right," Percy laughed, opening the stable to let Darla out. "They're in my bag. Make yourself at home here."

She picked up the riding gear she found in a corner of the stable, prepping the mare for a ride out. She swung herself up onto the saddle with a ease, clapping the horse's side to coax the animal into moving. With one last wave at Grover, who'd settled into a heap of hay, she left the stables, the reins clasped loosely inside her hands.

"C'mon, girl," Percy whispered as they approached the seemingly endless grass fields. "Let's go."

She tightened her legs around the horse when it broke out into a gallop, gathering speed until the mud flew through the air beneath its hooves, until the wind became so strong Percy had to squint her eyes against it.

This was what she loved most about riding.

The sensation of freedom coursing through her veins, the wind whipping against her face and through her hair, the feel of the powerful animal between her thighs. They would most probably be sore like hell afterwards, but she didn't mind. She liked the soreness.

The landscape flew past her in a mix of green and brown colors with the river stretching out on the other side, and her worries dissolved into nothing just like that. Her dismay about her bad grade, her anger with her classmates and the school in general, her frustration about how she couldn't get a grasp of the situation … it left her mind as if evaporating into smoke. It seemed so invalid now to Percy, and she couldn't help but feel slightly stupid and angry with herself that she had allowed it to smother her.

She wasn't like that.

She just didn't let things that she knew she could handle with ease hold her under.

With her mind cleared, Percy rode back to the stables, her chest heaving with her excitement from the trip. She found Grover in the same spot she had left him in, sitting on top of a hay pile. He looked up from devouring his sandwiches at hearing Darla's hooves clack against the stone ground.

"Your hair looks like you've just taken a ride on a rollercoaster," he teased her.

She pulled a face as she hopped off the horse's back, reaching into her coat pocket to fetch out a scrunchy. "Let me give you a word of advice, G-man," Percy said and tied her long hair back in a ponytail. "Don't ever make fun of a girl's hair. It could cost you your life."

Grover nodded solemnly. "Advice taken."

Percy chuckled softly, taking off the riding gear from her mare before ushering her back into her stable. She grabbed a broom, starting to sweep the stone ground from all the hay pieces and the dirt.

"You know, a lot of girls would cringe away from doing this," Grover noted as he got to his feet, fetching another broom to help her with the cleaning.

Percy snickered. "I would as well, normally. But my mother always says: _Take care of your own mess, and others will not find a reason to pick at you._ That's pretty solid advice, which I try to live by."

"Agreed," Grover laughed. "Your mom's a wise woman."

She nodded with a smile on her face, and they proceeded to clean the stables in silence. That silence didn't last for very long, though. Percy could sense the hesitation radiating off Grover, knew he had tons of question he simply didn't ask, because he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. She appreciated that. But the tightness on his face unsettled her anyway, and so she sighed before starting to talk, "I'm sorry for the way my grandpa behaved earlier."

Grover looked up in surprise. "You don't have to be, Percy. I mean, it's not your fault or anything."

"I know." She heaved a sigh. "He's … he's very alone. He's been ever since my grandmother died in a plane crash almost thirty years ago. And his relationship with my mom has always been tense. My grandma somehow managed to put the two of them at ease when they were in the same room, but after she died, they grew apart. These days, they don't even talk to each other anymore."

Grover frowned, hesitating before asking, "It's because of your father, right?"

Percy bit the inside of her cheek, faltering for just a moment. The broom's branches looked so much more interesting all of a sudden. "Yeah," she answered after a few seconds. "Grandpa hates him for leaving my mom, and she always defends him. It's been the subject of many, many fights between them."

She didn't like the way Grover studied her. It was like he was searching for a clue, for an answer to a mystical question she didn't know yet.

"And where do you stand in all this?"

Percy chose to ignore that, because frankly, she had no idea how to put her thoughts into actual words. Where did she stand in all this? What was her stance on her begetter? For all its worth, she couldn't call him _father_ , because wasn't a father someone who was there for his child, who raised it, fed it, cared for it? She'd never even met the man, and she wasn't sure if she ever wanted to. Once, when she was a little girl, she had longed for a father's protection, for a dad's strong and warm embrace, but those times were long gone.

"I'm sorry," Grover apologized, noticing her silence. "I didn't mean to pry."

She shook her head, smiling. "It's okay, G-man, don't worry yourself. It's just something I don't like talking about."

Once they were done with the cleaning, they put the brooms back, and Percy made sure the horses had all their fair share of food and water. They returned to the main house, where her grandfather sat in a rocking chair on the patio, a pipe hanging from the corner of his mouth. His eyes lit up when he saw them approaching.

"I saw you taking Darla out for a ride," Walter noted as they walked the steps up to the patio.

Percy nodded. "Yeah, it was about time. She was already getting impatient." She sat down on a cushioned bench and scooted over to make place for Grover, curiously eyeing the book in her grandfather's hands. "What're you doing?"

The _book_ turned out to be a photo album.

"Looking at old photographs," Walter said with a fond look at the pictures. He pulled off the tape from one of them, passing it over to Percy. "That's your grandmother when she was your age."

The black and white picture showed a beautiful, young girl with long, raven hair and a blinding smile. Percy turned it around, discovering a signature on the backside that said: _1963, Soviet Union._

Next to her, Grover made a surprised sound. "Your grandmother wasn't American?" Curiously, he looked back at the photograph and then at Percy, spotting a few similarities between her and her grandmother. They had the same set of dark, elegant eyebrows, the same thick, sweeping lashes.

Before Percy could explain, her grandfather answered, "No, she wasn't. She immigrated from Eastern Europe to the US during World War II." He took a puff off his pipe, the corners of his eyes crinkling with a smile as he took a trip down memory lane. "I met her in Brooklyn after I returned home from the war. Was the most beautiful girl I have ever laid my eyes upon. We married shortly after, and a few years later, Sally was born."

Percy listened with eager eyes, never tiring of hearing this story. She couldn't remember her grandmother very well, but the stories her mom and her grandpa always told her painted her in a wonderful light.

They sat on the patio until dusk started to approach and the first stars gleamed high up above their heads. Percy and Grover left with the promise to visit her grandfather again soon, and as they walked towards the car, Grover broke the silence by saying shyly, "Thanks for bringing me here."

What he actually meant was _'Thanks for showing me a part of your past'_ , but Percy got the message anyway.

"You're my best friend, Grover," she said with a smile, pressing a button on the car keys that made the headlights flare up briefly. "And I think we both needed a little distraction after this morning."

* * *

On the next day, Percy hadn't forgotten what she had remembered during her ride out with Darla.

(She wasn't like that.)

(She just didn't let things that she knew she could handle with ease hold her under.)

So the next morning, after cheerleading practice, Percy intended to go through with it and shut her classmates down once and for all, and who would be better to target than the one who currently held in the position of the popular girl?

* * *

Allison Meadowes didn't suspect anything when she opened her locker in the girls' changing room, checking her reflection and touching up her makeup. She was thoroughly happy with the way her life was going right now. She had risen to the status of the most popular girl at school, her grades were splendid (as always), she was secretly seeing Justin Walker, and she was successfully on her way to take away the captain's position of the cheerleaders from Percy Jackson.

Allison Meadowes was thoroughly happy with the way her life was going.

Until she wasn't.

A sudden sound, like sneakers squeaking on the tile floor, made her startle. She stilled with her hand halfway up in the air to reapply her mascara, perking her ears up to listen if there was somebody else in the changing room. As far as she knew, all the other girls had already left for the break.

The room remained silent.

Shrugging her shoulders, thinking it to be a trick of her imagination, Allison went back to her makeup. Just as she was about to free her hair out of the ponytail she'd kept it in, the strange noise resounded again. This time, it was as if someone had released a muffled cough.

Allison's heart rate picked up. She had seen enough horror movies to know this was how it usually started, with the maniac kidnapping the young, innocent girl and keeping her as a trophy in his dungeons. Her hand slowly crept to her bag, searching for something she could potentially use as a weapon if needed. Quickly, she shut her locker and turned around to her left side only to let out a startled yelp.

Percy Jackson stood leaning against the row of lockers, still in her cheerleading uniform and with her arms crossed in front of her chest. She regarded her with something not unlike amusement in her eyes, as if internally laughing at her discomfort.

"Percy!" Allison put a hand on her chest, glaring at the dark-haired girl. "Jesus, can you be any more creepy?"

Her former best friend cocked her head to the side. She was so ridiculously pretty that Allison could feel the envy turning her face red. "Relax, Allison," Percy said with a roll of her eyes. "Don't get yourself so worked up over me."

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Allison asked with a scowl, choosing to ignore her words.

Percy gasped dramatically. "What, I can't be in the same room with you anymore?"

"Just answer the question, Percy," Allison snapped. "I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now."

Percy pinched her mouth. "All right," she said. "Look, I'm trying to do this the civil way, so please just do what I say. I want you to leave Grover alone once and for all. I want you to stop picking at him, I want you to stop even looking at him in the wrong way. Can you do that, Allison?"

The other girl raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Oh my god, just listen to yourself," she scoffed. "How delusional are you? Your glory days are over, Percy. You can't tell me what to do, and even if you did, I wouldn't do so anyway. Underwood is a pathetic loser, and the sooner the both of you realize that, the better for everyone else."

For a while, neither of them said anything.

Then, Percy's eyes hardened, and she took a step closer to Allison.

"Allie," she started sweetly, "Have you already forgotten that we were best friends once? Have you forgotten _all_ the dirty, little secrets you told me? How you cheated your way through the last year's exams? Or how you fooled around with Cindy Porter behind Richard Hill's back, your boyfriend at that time? Think of all those things you told me. I mean, I'm not trying to _threaten_ you or anything, but they're just waiting to spill over my lips."

Allison paled considerably. "You wouldn't," she choked out. "You're bluffing."

"Am I?" Percy stepped closer. "Do you want to find out?"

With her heart pounding behind her ribcage, Allison tried to think of something to say, but she came out empty. She tried to remember something that Percy may have told her at some time, something to use against her, but with horror rising inside her, she realized that her former friend had never told her much about herself.

"I'm saying it this one time," Percy continued sharply. Her green eyes had darkened to an emerald color, and the little hairs on Allison's neck rose in alarm. The air around her felt thick and tense, as if she stood on the docks, looking upon a sea that was about to wreak havoc. "Leave Grover alone. I don't care what you try to pull against me. I can handle myself, and I think you know that very well. If I catch you or anyone of your friends giving him a hard time, you're gonna be _so_ very beyond sorry. Don't even try to push me around, because I _will_ push back."

Then, upon sensing Allison's fright, Percy moved away from her.

"Have a nice day," she said with a smile, but it was a smile full of false sweetness. She slammed an open locker shut on her way out, with so much force that Allison could feel the tremble beneath her feet and in her bones.

* * *

Grover noticed the change on the same day.

In their second break, he joined Percy at a table in the cafeteria and looked around the room with wary eyes. Normally, as soon as they set eyes on him, the kids threw every insult they could think of at him. Now, they didn't even spare him a glance, and when he accidentally met Allison Meadowes' gaze, the girl averted her eyes immediately. But not before throwing a nervous glance at Percy.

"What did you do?" Grover demanded.

Looking up from the book she had been reading ( _Interview with the Vampire_ , Grover read from the cover), Percy blinked blankly at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean _this_." Thrusting an arm out, he waved over to the other tables. "What did you do to make them … well, ignore me?"

Percy shut her book and rubbed her eyes (probably from the pain of trying to read a book like _Interview with the Vampire_ with dyslexia) before picking up a pizza slice from her tray. As she nibbled on it, she explained the situation and what she'd told Allison to him. "I'm impressed, though," she said at the end of it. "Allison spread the word around faster than I imagined she would."

Grover kept closing and opening his mouth like a fish on dry land. "But why did you go for her? Why not Justin or Evan?"

"Because," Percy started slowly, "Allison's the popular girl now. Everyone will listen to her. Believe me, I know that better than anyone else. And besides, girls are a lot better with spreading around the word than boys. No offense."

"None taken." Grover slumped down on his chair, staring at Percy as if seeing her in a new light. "I didn't know …" He struggled to find the right words without insulting her. "I didn't know you could be …"

"Such a bitch?" Percy finished the sentence for him with a snicker. "Don't be afraid to call it by its name, G-man."

Grover joined her laughter hesitantly. Truth was, he really hadn't known she had that vindictive streak in her, and now it added even more mystery to who her godly parent might possibly be. He had realized she didn't have any warm feelings for her father, whoever he might be, the other day at her grandfather's.

He hated this sort of thing with demigods, this mystery game when their origins were too unclear or when their personalities were much too tricky to actually see traits he could lead back to one particular deity.

Grover huffed mentally.

This could take a little longer than he'd originally thought it would.

* * *

 _Seven months later_

Even seven months later, in April 2006, Grover hadn't figured out Percy Jackson.

He whined about that fact mentally while he fiddled with the black shirt Percy had forced him into, studying his mirror image with unhappy eyes. She had also forced him to put on expensive blue jeans that, admittedly, looked very nice. Still, Grover wasn't exactly comfortable with the way he looked as he stood in her room in front of her body-sized mirror.

They were going to a party.

Or rather, Percy had talked him into going with her.

 _That girl definitely has a way with words,_ Grover thought as he remembered her pleading with him and sweet talking him into it. At the end, he had relented much too her triumph. However, he had still not forgiven her for prettying him up. A shudder went through his limbs as he thought back to how she'd entered the room a few hours ago, armed with shaving cream and a razor (both a woman's brand) to remove the wisps of hair growing from his chin.

By the gods, Grover had even let her pluck his eyebrows into a somewhat acceptable shape. He didn't know that much pain was even possible. _If this is what a girl has to do almost every day,_ he had thought with tears leaking from his eyes, _then I will never again think they have it easier than guys._

"Grover, are you ready?"

Percy burst into the room with the scent of vanilla and roses clinging to her skin. Her dark hair fell down her back in its natural soft waves and loose curls, and a few of the front strands were clipped away at the back of her head. She wore a peach-colored halter-neck top, a denim skirt, and knee-high suede boots that had a wedge heel.

"Oh no, no, no," she said as soon as she laid eyes on him. " _This_ is unacceptable."

Grover looked down at himself with a frown. "What is?"

" _This_ is," Percy repeated, pointing to the shirt he had tucked into his jeans. She pulled it out again, ignoring his whines. "There! It looks so much better now."

Grover grumbled to himself but didn't dare to object. When it came down to things such as fashion, he knew it was better to let Percy have her way, even though he thought she went a little too nuts about that subject.

"Let's go then," she said, her mouth tipping up into a smile. She had put something bronzey and shimmery on her eyelids. It made her green eyes pop even more. "This party better be exciting and fun like hell, because if it's not, then all my efforts were for nothing."

"We won't have to stay there for too long, right?" Grover asked worriedly as he followed her out of her room, still fiddling with his shirt. Thankfully, her mother was away to celebrate the birthday of one of her girlfriends. "Just one or two hours?"

"Yeah." Percy grabbed her keys and a denim jacket on their way out. "If it's boring, we can go earlier and find us a Subway or a McDonald's."

Grover hoped like crazy for the party to turn out boring.

"Okay, cool," he said as they climbed into the car Percy's mom had left them.

The place the party took place at was halfway across the city. As far as Grover knew, it was the house of one of their classmates who had invited half the school, because his brother was throwing a party himself and had allowed him to do so.

"I hope they're gonna play good music," Percy mumbled, leaving the car along with Grover.

The sky was already starting to darken, and the full moon was partially hidden by some puffy clouds. It was neither too cold nor too hot, just the common April weather of New York with a pleasant breeze blowing across the streets every now and then.

"I don't wanna go," Grover whined as he looked around reluctantly. There were already people standing on the porch with drinks in their hands. Upbeat, modern music came from inside the house.

"Come _on_!" Percy laughed, tugging him forward by his hand. A few people hanging out in front of the house eyed them curiously. "It'll be fun! We'll dance a bit, drink a little, and if you're not having fun by then, we'll go."

Grover regarded her with a grumpy expression. "Promise?"

"Cross my heart."

After that, he relented.

The place was already full of people. There was a drinking game going on in the living room, and some others played beer pong in the kitchen. Out in the backyard, someone had apparently made a make-shift dance floor, and some of the people there lounged around on the deck chairs.

"Here," Percy said, handing Grover a red plastic cup. Sensing his hesitance, her expression quickly grew serious. "It's just beer. I won't give you any of the hard stuff, I promise."

Grover took a tentative sip. The beer was surprisingly chill, and it tasted slightly bitter, but not too bad. "Thanks," he said, which Percy smiled at.

"You wanna dance?" His horrified look made her release a loud laugh. "There's no way you'll get out of this one, G-man! Dancing is an essential part of every party."

With that, Percy took him by the hand and dragged him outside. On the way there, she said hello to people he didn't know that complimented her on her looks, exchanging a few words with them. Out in the backyard, some people already occupied the dance floor, which Grover was thankful for. It would've been so much worse if they'd been the sole center of attention.

"Don't be afraid to be a little silly!" Percy shouted over the music with a laugh as she started to move her body to the beat. The deep notes of Justin Timberlake's _Sexy Back_ sounded through the speakers. "People are here to have a good time. They don't care how you dance or what else you do, believe me."

 _She makes it look so easy_ , Grover thought. It was one of the first things he had noticed about Percy - she was shy about very few things. He wished he could have some of that natural confidence she had within herself.

"I feel stupid," Grover said as he began to move his limbs, looking around in embarrassment. Surprisingly, no one even spared him a glance.

"That's okay," Percy grinned, and he couldn't help but laugh when she bumped her hip playfully against his side. "I'm right here. You're not alone in this."

They danced to a few more songs, and Grover had to admit that it wasn't _that_ bad. When they got off the dance floor, he excused himself to go to the toilet, and Percy sat down on the couch in the living room to watch the on-going drinking game.

She would lie if she said she didn't enjoy this, because she did.

She liked going out, she liked getting her buzz on every now and then (even though she couldn't tonight, because she was driving), she liked socializing. Of course, she treasured her alone-time as much as anyone else, but she also wasn't the type of girl to sit her weekends out alone at home.

"What's got you thinking so hard?"

Percy looked up in surprise at the sound of the male voice.

A guy sat down next to her, offering her a red plastic cup. He looked older, which meant he was one of the college guys, probably friends with the boy's brother that hosted this party. He had dark brown hair and blue eyes, was well-built and tall. Overall, he was quite handsome, even more so than Justin.

"Oh, I can't," Percy declined, nodding at the cup he offered her. "I'm driving later."

"Shame," he sighed before smiling at her, holding out his hand. "I'm Logan, by the way."

She shook his hand. "Percy," she said and looked for Grover from the corner of her eye, finding him by the threshold of the kitchen, back from his trip to the toilet. When she saw that he was talking to a pretty red-haired girl, she had to stifle a pleased grin, mentally patting herself on the back for how successfully she had cleaned him up.

"Well, Percy, why's a beautiful girl like you sitting here all by herself?" Logan asked, and she turned back to him.

"Probably because she's waiting for someone interesting to approach her," she responded with a half-smile. He was pretty charming, and some innocent flirting had never harmed anybody.

Logan raised his eyebrows at her reply as his gaze sparked with new intrigue. "I do hope you'll consider me worth your time."

"We'll see," Percy quipped back.

She didn't know for how long they talked, but Logan turned out to be really funny and interesting, and they got a little cozier with each other after he placed his arm on the couch behind her. Percy pulled a stop on things before they could heat up when he leaned slightly forward, his eyes flickering down to her mouth.

She turned her head faintly to the other side, and his lips brushed her cheek. He pulled back, disappointed.

"I'm sorry," Percy said, her voice sincere. "I

don't kiss guys I've just met."

Thankfully, Logan recovered quickly enough. "It's fine," he chuckled. "Thanks for letting me down gently."

Percy smiled in response before getting to her feet and moving across the living room to look for Grover. She had to push through the crowd, because since they got there, the number of people had increased considerably.

At last, Percy found Grover sitting on the lower steps of the stairs.

"Hey, G-man," she said. "What you're doing there?"

"Hmm?" He looked up with glassy eyes. "Oh, hey, Percy." Leaning his head against the railing, he sighed happily. "My head's spinnin' a lil' bit, Percy. And you look very pretty tonight. Well, you always look pretty, but you look even prettier now."

Percy bit the inside of her cheek to stifle a giggle. "Grover, are you drunk?"

"I think so." A dreamy smile lit up his face. "The pretty girl gave me a drink. It was very fizzy. I feel awesome now."

"All right," Percy laughed, heaving him up. "Let's get you home. You can sleep it off at my place."

Grover didn't object whatsoever.

She somehow managed to get him onto the backseat of the car before settling down herself on the driver's seat and starting the vehicle. She let the radio play quietly, occasionally checking through the rear view mirror if Grover was all right. He was snoring peacefully in his sleep.

It all went to shit when the car started emitting weird noises. It stuttered as she drove past a row of dark houses, jolting down the street until it jerked to a halt.

"Are you kidding me?" Percy murmured, turning the key in the ignition lock. The motor revved before falling silent again, failing to start. She released a long-drawn, irritated sigh, letting her head fall back. "This can't be happening right now."

When she took her phone out to call her mother, she grimaced, disbelief coloring her features. Her phone showed no service. "Are you _fucking_ kidding me?" Percy repeated, louder this time. Glancing back, she ensured Grover was still asleep before getting out of the car.

The sky was already jet-black, and her surroundings were silent and devoid of any people. Well, _almost_ any people, because it was then that she noticed the person standing at the corner of the street.

"Excuse me!" Percy called out, and the person turned around.

Beneath the light of the lantern, she could see the person was a little old lady, although she looked strange for one. She was dressed in a black leather jacket. Deep wrinkles pulled the skin of her face down, and she looked rather mean.

"What is it, honey?" The old lady asked in a shrill, scratchy voice.

"Uh," Percy said awkwardly. "Do you have a phone, maybe? My car broke down, and I need to call my mother, but my phone has no service, though I don't really get why that is."

"That's unfortunate, honey," the lady said. "I'm sure you were luckier when your father send you to steal the bolt."

That was her clue to get the hell away.

"All right, I get it, no phone," Percy replied, her voice slightly rising in pitch as she slowly backed away. She turned only to …

"Oh my god!"

… only to find herself face to face with the old lady again.

"How did you - I don't - how …" Percy stuttered, horror lacing her voice as she tried to comprehend how the lady had managed to move so fast. The little hairs on her arms stood on end, and she knew this was no longer a joke or something to wave off.

"We know what you did, Percy Jackson," the lady hissed. "Give it back, and I will try not to hurt you too much."

Percy's stomach twisted in fear. She could feel cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. How the hell did that woman know her name? And _what_ the fuck was she talking about? "You need to leave, lady," she said, her voice trembling. "Just leave me the fuck alone."

The old woman tsked. "What foul language for a pretty, young girl like you to use. I will make sure you'll get rid of it once you're dead and waiting for me in the fields!"

And with those words, the little old lady transformed into a monster.

Her eyes glowed bright red, her nails grew into razor-sharp talons, and leathery wings sprung from her back. She hissed, revealing a mouth full of pointy, saliva-drenched fangs, and flew straight at the dark-haired girl.

A blood-curdling scream tore out of Percy's throat, the noise sounding inhumane even to her own ears.

She whipped around and ran toward the car, her entire body overcome by one basic instinct: _get the hell away from this monster_.

She didn't get too far.

The air whistled sharply around her ears when the monster came down on her, its long talons piercing into her back. Another scream tore from Percy's throat as blinding pain exploded all over body. She could hear the thin material of her top ripping, could feel the wetness of her blood soaking her clothes.

The monster flung her through the air with supernatural strength, and Percy crashed into the windshield of the car. Glass broke all around her body, failing to withstand the force and pressure. The splinters pierced through her skin like little sharp teeth, and she wheezed for air, struggling against the blackness that threatened to take her away.

She couldn't even worry about Grover.

She could only keep fighting through the pain while pure, animalistic fear coursed through her veins. The realization of death approaching, and approaching _fast,_ paralyzed her.

"Where is your bravery now, heroine?" The monster hissed as it landed on her, its red eyes boring into Percy's dazed green ones. "Where is your daddy, child of the sea? Where is his power to protect you?"

Something kicked off inside Percy at those words, even though she didn't understand them.

 _I don't wanna die_ , she thought faintly, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

The flight instinct turned into something else within her body as a new-found, weird strength replaced the fear.

" _Fuck you_ ," Percy managed to choke out, fighting to keep her eyes open. With an acrobatic expertise, she twisted her legs and kicked the monster off her. It flew through the air, landing a few feet away from her, which gave her just enough time to get to her feet.

Percy didn't even wonder how she had managed to do that.

She simply acted on pure instinct once she saw that, this time, the monster hesitated just a little before attacking her, eyeing her warily. When it flung itself back at her, Percy clenched her right hand into a fist and send it crashing into the monster's face. It screamed in protest, landing on the ground with a loud thump.

But that didn't stop it.

As Percy struggled to keep her balance, her rapid blood loss making her sway in dizziness, the monster recharged. This time, it was successful. It threw Percy onto the ground and pinned its hands around her throat, squeezing while the young girl clawed at the monster's talons in desperation, trying to get them off her. Her lungs throbbed in pain, screaming for oxygen, and the gravel and dirt on the ground beneath her grated into her back wounds. She squirmed and clashed beneath the painful hold, choking and gasping for air as everything started to spin before her eyes, kicking out her legs, tears leaking from her eyes as she prayed, _Please, please don't let me die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die …_

Something happened then.

In the years to come, Percy would wonder what exactly had went through her in those moments, but the only thing she knew was that something primal awakened inside her as her gut twisted painfully as if pulling itself into tight knots.

The monster started coughing.

It froze in confusion at that, loosening its grasp on Percy's throat, which allowed her to take a huge, desperate gulp of cool air. She wrung herself free from the monster, kicking it off, and crawled away from its reach.

The monster didn't even seem to notice.

Its body shook with violent coughs, and green blood began splattering from its mouth. "Stop that!" The monster screeched, its talons clawing at its throat. "What are you doing? I said stop that! _Stop that_!"

The monster screeched and yelled as an unknown force ran through its blood, causing it to boil and to freeze at the same time, making it gush to the creature's throat and spill through its fangs.

And then, the monster dissolved into dust.

And Percy's legs gave away.

She fell to her knees, holding herself up with her palms against the ground. Her entire body shook with pain, and everything was so fuzzy and confusing. Her eyes tried to focus on something, _anything_ , but she couldn't even comprehend what had just happened. A pained, faint groan came over her lips, and she tried to call for Grover, but the only thing filling her mouth was her blood.

 _Everything just hurt too much_.

Percy couldn't support herself for much longer.

She gave in to gravity, resting her cheek against the cold ground, and allowed the blackness to take her away.

* * *

 _Reviews are Percy's and Grover's friendship._


End file.
